In countries like the United States , Australia and Japan , the hot, sticky summer months are made bearable by the blast of chilled air provided by a humming air conditioner . But across large parts of Europe, the solution is often decidedly low-tech: shut the shades, fire up the fan and keep plenty of ice water within reach. Around 90% of people living in the US have air conditioning at home, according to the US Department of Energy. In Europe, which has a similar climate, that figure is only