This leads to the most glaring omission of all: Europe’s persistent lack of air conditioning. In countries like Germany, France and the UK, air conditioning is not only rare but often discouraged or even restricted by regulations. Blaming climate change while ignoring the absence of air conditioning is misleading at best and irresponsible at worst. Yet the political climate in much of Europe frames air conditioning as environmentally suspect, leaving populations vulnerable. The New York Times has misled its readers, offering them a scary but ultimately false narrative of crisis rather than a sober assessment of facts.