> Yes, because Ninety Percent of U.S. Homes Were Built With Old(er) Building Codes.

Most public housing projects in Vienna, Austria, were retrofitted with modern insulation in the timespan of 10-20 years ago. Public funding exists in various EU countries for home owners to do the same.

> A lot of Europe is a lot more temperate than the US and Canada, so it didn't make much of a difference.

The number of households in Sweden, Finland, and Norway combined is comparable to Canada. Temps seem to be similar there. In Austria we get -10 and sometimes -15 degrees Celcius in winter, and up to 35 degrees in summer. Same in Germany, where 18% of EU inhabitants live. Bricks are a staple in energy conservation in big parts of Europe.