Europe and North America have very hot weather. Many people died because their houses are not good for the heat.

歐洲與北美洲天氣非常炎熱。許多人因為房屋不耐熱而死亡。

Europe is very hot now. In France, June 2026 was the hottest June in a long time. Many people died in their homes. European houses keep heat inside. This is bad when the weather is too hot.

歐洲現在非常炎熱。在法國，2026年6月是長期以來最熱的6月。許多人在家中死亡。歐洲的房屋會將熱氣困在室內，當天氣過熱時這非常糟糕。

In the United States, people use air conditioning. They need electricity for this. If the power stops, people cannot stay cool. Many people live in small mobile homes. These homes get hot very quickly.

在美國，人們使用空調。他們需要電力來驅動。如果停電，人們就無法保持涼爽。許多人住在小型行動房屋中，這些房屋升溫速度非常快。

Some people want more air conditioning. Other people want better houses. Better houses stay cool without electricity. In the US, very few people build these houses because they do not know about them.

有些人想要更多空調，而有些人則想要更好的房屋。更好的房屋無需電力即可保持涼爽。在美國，很少有人建造這種房屋，因為他們並不了解這些房屋。

The world is getting hotter. We need to build better houses to stay safe.

世界正變得越來越炎熱，我們需要建造更好的房屋以確保安全。

Recent record-breaking heatwaves in Europe and North America have caused many deaths and serious infrastructure failures. These events highlight a critical difference in how buildings in these two regions handle extreme heat.

近期歐洲與北美地區出現打破紀錄的熱浪，造成許多人死亡以及嚴重的基礎設施故障。這些事件凸顯了這兩個地區的建築物在處理極端高溫方面的關鍵差異。

Europe has experienced unusual heatwaves caused by 'heat domes' that pushed temperatures far above normal. For example, June 2026 was the hottest June in France since 1947. This change has caused a public health crisis, with a significant increase in deaths, especially in private homes. The World Health Organization and researchers emphasize that this is due to global warming, noting that Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average. Consequently, traditional European buildings, which were designed to keep heat inside, are now inadequate. This has led to the cancellation of public events and the failure of nuclear power plants because river temperatures became too high.

歐洲經歷了由「熱穹頂」引起的異常熱浪，使氣溫遠高於正常水平。例如，2026年6月是法國自1947年以來最熱的6月。這種變化引發了公共衛生危機，死亡人數大幅增加，尤其是在私人住宅中。世界衛生組織與研究人員強調，這是由於全球暖化所致，並指出歐洲的暖化速度是全球平均速度的兩倍。因此，原本設計為保留熱能的傳統歐洲建築現在已不足以應對。這導致了公共活動的取消，以及核電廠因河水溫度過高而故障。

In contrast, the United States faces a different problem based on its heavy reliance on air conditioning since World War II. The availability of cheap window units allowed cities to grow in hot, dry areas like Phoenix, but it also led people to ignore natural cooling designs. While this reliance initially reduced heat-related deaths, it created a dangerous dependency on the electrical grid. Data suggests that a two-day power failure in Phoenix during a heatwave could cause thousands of deaths. Furthermore, this risk is higher for people living in mobile homes, which have poor insulation and absorb more heat.

相比之下，美國面臨的問題則在於自第二次世界大戰以來對空調的高度依賴。廉價窗型冷氣單元的普及，使得鳳凰城等炎熱乾燥地區得以發展，但同時也導致人們忽略了自然冷卻設計。雖然這種依賴最初減少了與高溫相關的死亡人數，但卻造成了對電網的危險依賴。數據顯示，鳳凰城在熱浪期間若發生兩天停電，可能會導致數千人死亡。此外，居住在行動房屋（mobile homes）的人風險更高，因為這些房屋隔熱效果差且吸收更多熱量。

Institutional responses to these problems remain inconsistent. In Europe, some politicians suggest installing more air conditioning, whereas climate analysts argue that this only treats the symptoms rather than solving the energy problem. In the U.S., the use of 'Passive House' standards—which keep interiors cool without using electricity—remains very low at about 1%. Although evidence from Massachusetts shows that these standards do not significantly increase costs or slow down construction, adoption is limited by a lack of awareness and the end of federal tax incentives.

機構對這些問題的回應仍然不一致。在歐洲，部分政治人物建議安裝更多空調，而氣候分析師則認為這僅是在對症下藥而非解決能源問題。在美國，「被動房」（Passive House）標準——即無需電力即可保持室內涼爽的設計——的採用率仍然非常低，約為 1%。儘管馬薩舒塞州的證據顯示，這些標準並不會顯著增加成本或減緩施工速度，但由於缺乏認知以及聯邦稅務優惠的終結，使得普及率受限。

Global temperature instability continues to show the dangers of both European and American building strategies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a systemic shift toward climate-resilient architecture.

全球氣溫的不穩定性持續顯示出歐洲與美國建築策略的危險性。因此，迫切需要將系統轉向能適應氣候的建築設計。

Recent record-breaking heatwaves across Europe and North America have resulted in significant mortality and systemic infrastructure failure, highlighting a critical disparity in architectural resilience.

近期歐洲與北美出現打破紀錄的熱浪，導致顯著的死亡率及系統性基礎設施失效，凸顯了建築韌性的嚴重差異。

The European continent has experienced an unprecedented thermal event, characterized by a high-pressure 'heat dome' that elevated temperatures significantly above seasonal norms. In France, June 2026 was recorded as the warmest June since 1947, with national average temperatures reaching 22.7C. This climatic shift has precipitated a public health crisis; Public Health France reported a 29.1% increase in mortality during the final week of June, with a 91% surge in deaths occurring within private residences. The World Health Organization and climate researchers attribute this volatility to anthropogenic global warming, noting that Europe is warming at approximately twice the global average. Consequently, traditional European architecture—designed primarily for heat retention—has proven inadequate, leading to the cancellation of public events and the failure of nuclear power plants due to excessive river temperatures.

歐洲大陸經歷了一次前所未有的熱事件，其特徵是一個高壓「熱穹頂」，使溫度顯著高於季節常態。在法國，2026年6月被記錄為自1947年以來最熱的6月，全國平均溫度達到22.7度。這次氣候轉變引發了公共衛生危機；法國公共衛生署報告指出，6月最後一週死亡人數增加了29.1%，其中在私人住宅內發生的死亡人數激增了91%。世界衛生組織與氣候研究員將這種波動歸因於人為全球暖化，並指出歐洲的升溫速度約為全球平均值的兩倍。因此，主要設計用於保溫的傳統歐洲建築被證明不足以應對，導致公共活動被取消，且因河流溫度過高而導致核電廠失效。

Conversely, the United States exhibits a different form of vulnerability rooted in a post-World War II reliance on mechanical cooling. The proliferation of low-cost window air conditioning units in 1947 facilitated the development of sprawling urban centers in arid regions, such as Phoenix, but simultaneously incentivized the abandonment of passive cooling designs. While this hyper-reliance initially reduced heat-related mortality by 80%, it created a systemic dependency on the electrical grid. Data suggests that a two-day power failure in Phoenix during a heatwave could result in 12,800 fatalities. This precariousness is exacerbated by the prevalence of mobile homes, which possess inferior insulation and higher thermal absorption.

相反地，美國展現出另一種脆弱性，根源於第二次世界大戰後對機械冷卻的依賴。1947年低成本窗型冷氣機的普及，促進了如鳳凰城等乾旱地區擴張的都市中心發展，但同時導致了被動冷卻設計被棄用。雖然這種過度依賴最初將熱相關死亡率降低了80%，但卻創造了對電網的系統性依賴。數據顯示，鳳凰城在熱浪期間若發生兩天停電，可能導致12,800人死亡。而行動房屋的盛行加劇了這種不穩定性，因為其隔熱性能較差且熱吸收率較高。

Institutional responses to these crises remain fragmented. In Europe, some political factions have advocated for the rapid deployment of air conditioning as a primary solution, while climate analysts argue that such measures address symptoms rather than the underlying energy transition. In the U.S., the adoption of 'Passive House' standards—which utilize airtight envelopes and high-thermal-mass materials to maintain temperate interiors without active cooling—remains low at approximately 1%. Despite evidence from Massachusetts indicating that such standards do not impede housing production and only marginally increase construction costs, adoption is hindered by a lack of awareness and the expiration of federal tax incentives.

機構對這些危機的反應仍然碎片化。在歐洲，部分政治派系主張迅速部署冷氣作為主要解決方案，而氣候分析師則認為此類措施僅是處理症狀，而非解決底層的能源轉型問題。在美國，「被動房」標準（利用氣密外殼與高熱質量材料，在無需主動冷卻的情況下維持室內溫和溫度）的採納率依然低於1%。儘管馬薩諸塞州的證據顯示，此類標準不會阻礙住房生產且僅輕微增加建築成本，但由於缺乏意識以及聯邦稅收優惠到期，使得採納率受阻。

Global thermal instability continues to expose the lethal inadequacies of both passive European and active American building strategies, necessitating a systemic shift toward climate-resilient architecture.

全球熱不穩定情況持續揭露歐洲被動式與美國主動式建築策略的致命缺陷，因此必須系統性地轉向氣候韌性建築。