Air conditioner units on a roof of industrial buildingMarkus Thoenen/Alamy
As the Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, there are warnings the games could be the hottest on record, beating the current holder of that dubious title – Tokyo 2020 – and putting competitors at risk of heat exhaustion and potentially fatal heatstroke. In fact, average temperatures in Paris have risen by 1.8°C since the city last hosted the games a century ago. The reason is obvious.
The organisers are aware of the danger and have fitted an energy efficient system of underfloor pipes that carry water to cool the…