Faced with air-conditioned stores and open doors, the town hall of Paris wants to whistle the end of recess – The HuffPost

HEAT WEATHER – Three years and several heat waves later, nothing has changed. In July 2019, when Europe was hit by heat waves of the same order as the one currently affecting France, an ecologically questionable business practice caught the attention of HuffPost. In Paris, as elsewhere, the big brands have got into the habit of leaving their doors open all the time, while the air conditioning is running at full speed inside. As you can see in our video at the top of the article, this practice was still in effect in the same stores on Tuesday July 19, when the temperature reached 40°C in the capital. In short, despite the climatic emergency demonstrated by the recurrence of these heat waves, nothing is changing. It will be 40°C in Paris today and the big brands (even the chocolate maker!) have still not abandoned this practice of air conditioning. with the doors open. #caniculepic.twitter.com/xJoFyNH2sU— Pierre Tremblay (@tremblay_p) July 19, 2022The justification for merchants is pecuniary: an open door would encourage onlookers to enter more and would therefore promote better turnover. It is also ensured that this incongruity does not cause energy losses. “We are regulated everywhere. Even at the entrance, there is a ventilation system which means that we are not at all affected by the outside heat”, assured us an employee in 2019. “I do not see how technology could completely limit the losses,” retorted Angélique Sage, an energy efficiency engineer with Collectif Effinergie, which promotes the construction and renovation of buildings with low energy consumption. break? On July 17, Dan Lert, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of ecological transition, was annoyed on Twitter by this “aberration”. “In the midst of a heat wave and energy crisis, I am scandalized to see the irresponsibility of air-conditioned businesses that leave the door open!”, reacted the elected official, adding that the town hall is studying “all legal means to put an end to this use. aberrant air conditioning”. Contacted The HuffPost, Dan Lert confirms that the city would like to follow suit in Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain), which has banned this practice since Monday via an order. An initiative presented as a first in France. “I have always considered that it is a waste and in the current period, I consider that this waste has become intolerable and unbearable”, explained to AFP the mayor Jean-François Debat. From now on, air-conditioned businesses leaving their doors open may be fined 38 euros. In the heat wave and energy crisis, I am scandalized to see the irresponsibility of air-conditioned businesses that leave the door open! @Paris will study all legal means to put an end to this aberrant use of air conditioning. https://t.co/DINYPB6XcU— Dan Lert (@danlert) July 17, 2022 “We’ll see if we can issue the same order. It seems necessary to us to stay on the objectives of the Paris Agreement. We see with our legal department”, promises Dan Lert, who is also awaiting action from the government. “We need very strong measures of constraint and legislation”, he adds. The elected official adds that he was “scandalized” not only because of the “context of climate emergency and energy crisis”, but also by the fact that Paris offers an alternative with the little-known “urban cold” network. These 89 kilometers of pipes cool, from the waters of the Seine, many establishments, such as the Louvre Museum or the Maison de la Radio et de la Musique. “It is an essential alternative to autonomous air conditioning, which is also available for the tertiary sector (shopping centres, offices, hotels, etc.)”, explains Dan Lert. By 2042, the town hall also wants to triple this network, which currently covers 43% of the Parisian territory with 89 kilometers of pipes, so as to serve all the districts. See also on The HuffPost: Heat wave or heat wave , How to make the difference ?