I don't think the difference is really as much about less extreme weather, wildlife, or environmental diversity as it is about size. There are plenty of people

I don't think the difference is really as much about less extreme weather, wildlife, or environmental diversity as it is about size. There are plenty of people who have died in the Alps due to unexpected storms. There maybe aren't as many large predators in Europe, but there are still poisonous snakes, and the most deadly animal in both the US and Europe is bees--allergic reactions to stings can occur even in people who have previously been stung without reaction. And there are deserts in Spain (which are quite beautiful!). What Europe doesn't have, is 100km stretches without a single bit of civilization. I've been to parts of the US where there are signs telling you to fill your gas tank fully before leaving, because the next gas station is so far away. If you get stranded partway through the journey, there's no cell signal even though the land is flat with nothing to block signals, because you're so far away that the curvature of the earth blocks the signal. That's on roads through desert plains: if you go into the mountains on foot you can easily be even further (in travel time) from civilization. If you get stung by a bee and have an allergic reaction in the Alps, you're probably within a 15 minute helicopter ride of a hospital, with cell service and other hikers nearby to assist. If you get stung by a bee and have an allergic reaction in the Rockies, you may not see another hiker for a few hours, and if you do, neither of you will have a way to contact a helicopter, which will then have a lot of space to cover to find you, and then will have to take you further. On a related note, when I lived in NYC, a friend from the UK asked if I could pick him up from the airport... in Buffalo. Yes, NYC and Buffalo are in the same state, but they're opposite sides of that state. Here's a comparison of that state to the entire UK: [1] https://external-preview.redd.it/sihkYJaYp-ZALJToGKSGpJ6aRLjq1TlzaHCNLHbiplI.png https://external-preview.redd.it/sihkYJaYp-ZALJToGKSGpJ6aRLj...