https://www.reuters.com/sports/trust-science-paris-mayor-tells-air-conditioning-fans-2024-03-14/
Temperatures are expected to soar again in the European summer, after setting records in 2023, but there will be no air conditioning in the athletes’ rooms at Paris 2024, which has pledged to host the “greenest ever” Games. Instead, buildings in the athletes’ village have been designed with a cooling system drawing water from underground, and facades orientated so they get little direct sun.
“This village was designed to avoid the need for air conditioning, even in very, very high temperatures, in order to maintain comfortable temperatures,” Hidalgo told Reuters on Wednesday…
Yet, the Olympic Committees from Australia, Brazil, Canada and Norway are among those who believe it will not be enough. “Our clear wish is that there should be air-conditioning in all rooms,” the Norwegian Committee told Reuters, with Brazil saying “the heat forecast” made it “necessary to invest in renting air-conditioning units for the entire delegation”. Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares said they were “looking at portable air conditioners to offer the athletes should they choose to if it gets hot, if it’s uncomfortable”.
If they want to construct energy efficient buildings for the athletes’ village, then fine. I don’t have a problem with that. Efficiency is good. But the virtue signalling nonsense about hosting the “greenest ever” Olympics is a little silly.
France already has some of the cleanest electricity in Europe, and would continue to have that clean electricity even if they did install air conditioners in the athlete’s rooms. The only way the Olympics could be “greener” would be if they hosted the games in Stockholm or Oslo, because Sweden and Norway also have very clean electricity on a routine basis.
The Olympics will take place in late July and early August. In the month of August 2023, the following was France’s electricity generation mix-
Nuclear: 69%
Hydro: 9%
Wind: 8%
Solar: 7%
Biomass: 1%
Total clean electricity: ~95%
Fossil fuels and other dirty sources: ~5%
The large majority of the dirty fuels burned for electricity was natural gas, which is considered the cleanest of fossil fuels.
I think Mayor Hidalgo should reside in the Olympic Village for the duration of the events. Including sleeping there.
The absurdity is that instead of building the village properly, and installing efficient air conditioning, the teams are going to use horribly inefficient portable units that will be running 24/7 just to keep ahead of the heat. Meanwhile, they could have installed proper very efficient heat pump units up front.
It can also be noted that air conditioning is not as widespread in Europe as it is in the US.
From the link: Unlike the U.S., European countries don’t rely on air conditioning to cope with high temperatures. Fewer than 10% of households in Europe owned air conditioners as of 2016, according to the International Energy Agency.
Do you know that for sure? In late July (when the Olympics are on) daily high temperatures average in the high 70s.
But in the event of a heatwave of 100 F temperatures the buildings are designed to remain in the mid 70s.
We Americans have (especially those who live in hot portions of the country it must be said) have trained ourselves to be complete pansies. If the indoor temperature isn’t within a degree or two of our desired target, we view it as impossibly uncomfortable.
On one hand, it seems like a triumph because these buildings don’t need AC at all. But on the other hand, in a worst case scenario the indoor temperature might theoretically be 75 instead of 72 like we like, so the Olympics are ruined.
Yet, the Olympic Committees from Australia, Brazil, Canada and Norway are among those who believe it will not be enough.
“Our clear wish is that there should be air-conditioning in all rooms,” the Norwegian Committee told Reuters, with Brazil saying “the heat forecast” made it “necessary to invest in renting air-conditioning units for the entire delegation”.
Australia’s Chef de Mission Anna Meares said they were “looking at portable air conditioners to offer the athletes should they choose to if it gets hot, if it’s uncomfortable”.
The Canadian Olympic Committee told Reuters it had “implemented a number of heat mitigation strategies in Paris to complement the measures put in place by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, including air conditioning units in some athlete rooms in case of extreme heat”.
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Germany, Australia, Italy, Canada and Britain were among the other countries with plans to bring air conditioners to France.
The competing nations must please their constituents who care about medals, while France must please an even more difficult set of constituents who DO NOT want fair Paris further touristized, and so Paris must be conspicuously ecologized in reoompense.
European who visit the US are generally astounded at the amount of air conditioning that goes on here. In every house, in every store, in every mall. That is so entirely unlike anything they’re used to.
Paris is at the same latitude as Portland, Maine - and Canada. While it can be hot, it’s not generally crazy hot like most of the country thinks it is.
The athletes housing for the Paris games is, unlike many previous ones, designed to be permanent; supposedly after the games it will be auctioned into the private market for housing. Since most people in Paris do not want air conditioning, it probably wouldn’t make sense to design it in as a permanent feature, and having teams bring in portables for use “just in case” is probably a better approach.
Goofyhoofy, i agree as to the USAian overindulgence in cheap crap insulation housing made liveable by cheap inefficient air conditioning. Hate it.
I grew up in sunny southern california with no A/C. I now live in central Mexico, which can get ferocious hot, and I have no A/C, but instead I paid a small premium for thick adobe walls. Lovely.
I love Paris and places like it, and that is partly because when there i mostly do not have to hear the racket or feel the blasts of A/C.
This week will be warm in Paris. High temperatures are expected to be around 87F on Wednesday. After that, it should cool down to a more comfortable 72 next week.
It is too early to know with accuracy what the weather will be like in late July and early August. But the high temperature seasonal average for Paris is around 76F for the time the Olympics will take place.
FYI, the nuclear plants in France appear to be working fine at the moment, generating around 39,000 MW during certain hours of the day. Nuclear currently produces 71% of the power in France. They are exporting around 12,000 MW to neighboring countries, so the French grid has more power available than they can use domestically. France continues to have some of the cleanest electricity in Europe.
Updated weather forecast for Paris, France, as the summer Olympics begin tomorrow.
Rain showers are forecast for early Friday and much of Saturday. After that, daytime temperatures will go up, with a high temperature of near 90 degrees F for Monday and Tuesday of next week. A cooling trend should then bring down temps to around 80F late next week.
Dear athletes,
You’re in Paris, one of the most amazing cities in the world.
It is going to be uncomfortably warm, and it may not allow your performance to be the best it could be, but you’re in Paris, one of the most amazing cities in the world.
Your sleep may be disrupted, but you’re in Paris, one of the most amazing cities in the world.
You may never get back to the Olympics again, but you’re in Paris, one of the most amazing cities in the world.
I will be watching all of you on Peacock and admiring your accomplishments as you’re in Paris, one of the most amazing cities in the world.
Here is a nice thread condensing the development of modern Paris.
I think I fell in love with Paris years before we went there. I read David McCullough’s book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. He looked at the influence of Paris on the intellectual life in the US. He also spent a lot of time in the book quoting letters and journals of the young Americans walking around the city. It is still a very walkable city.
“At the beginning of every Games there are usually two or three issues and the transportation is always one,” British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Anson told the Times. “But the big one this time is the food in the village, which is not adequate.”
Paris Olympic officials attempted to offer more plant-based foods in an effort to reduce the Games’ carbon footprint. While there is a variety of cuisine available to accommodate the tastes of different countries — and an abundance of baguettes in France — vegan meals aren’t in line with what the athletes prefer to eat while competing.