Makes sense for the South in summer months, sure. But in the USA as a whole, AC is used and abused even though there are solutions that involve building materials, behaviour and good habits that could make life livable. Temperatures get crazy high in Europe as well (40C or 105F is not uncommon in summer months in Spain or Italy and they do without AC). Using terra cotta, washing your floors, good use of shade, plants and trees, all that goes towards managing heat. Though the humidity in the southern US states does make it way more complicated, I'll give you that.