The United States is roasting under a prolonged heat wave, with 28 states experiencing heat warnings and most Americans exposed to temperatures above 90 degrees this past weekend.
The deadly weather is severe in itself, but it’s also a sign of things to come as the planet warms due to climate change.
And the stifling conditions highlight Congress’s inability to pass meaningful legislation to combat the problem.
“We will see worse things in the future simply because climate change will continue to make the planet warmer and warmer,” said Jonathan Overpeck, a climatologist and dean of the University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability.
In recent days, temperatures across much of the country have reached triple digits.
In Texas, record temperatures reached 115 degrees at Wichita Falls, with 110 in other cities in the state and in Oklahoma.
Newark, NJ, also reached a new record at 102 degrees, with the temperature recorded at the city’s airport exceeding 100 for five days in a row.
boston too hit 100 degrees on Sunday.
The heat has been deadly in multiple places. A person died from exposure to heat in New York City on Saturday, while Dallas County, Texas, also reported one heat-related death In the past week.
Maricopa County, Arizona, confirmed 12 heat-related deaths between July 10 and 16, though it’s unclear whether the deaths actually occurred on those days or were simply added to existing state totals during that period.
As of last week, Tulsa’s emergency medical services had responded to 85 heat-related illnesses, which can include heat exhaustion or stroke, so far this month. Sixty of those people were hospitalized.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention600 people in the US each year die from extreme heat, although other studies put the figure much higher.
A studio 2020 Looking at counties that account for about 62 percent of the US population, they found that in those alone, there were an average of 5,608 heat-attributed deaths each year between 1997 and 2006.
Chris Uejio, a professor at Florida State University, said heat can have a negative impact on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as the kidneys, and research is emerging on its effects on mental health and motion sickness.
“It impacts a wide variety of body systems,” Uejio said.
People most at risk generally include the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions, pregnant women, infants and young children, the homeless and those who cannot afford air conditioning and refrigeration, Uejio said.
Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told The Hill that the temperatures are related to “larger scale” weather patterns and high pressure.
Chenard said it’s hard to say whether or to what extent climate change contributes to specific events, but climate change increases the risk of heat waves in general.
“The general consensus is that climate change in general would result in more frequent heat waves across the country,” he said.
Overpeck, who has also contributed op-eds to The Hill, said similarly: “It’s pretty unequivocal at this point that humans are playing a role in making heat waves more frequent, hotter and longer, in equal conditions”.
A studio 2021 found that 37 percent of heat-related deaths during the hot season can be attributed to human-caused climate change. He also found that the increase in deaths is “evident on all continents.”
Extreme weather puts an additional spotlight on Congress, where Sen. Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) recently walked away from Democrats on climate legislation after months of negotiations.
That legislation would have earmarked funds for tax credits that were expected to spur clean energy deployment. Lawmakers also considered a tariff on methane emissions for the oil and gas industry.
“I find it very frustrating,” Overpeck said when asked about the government’s inaction. “We really know at this point exactly what is [happening] and why, and we have the solutions. And we know that future generations will bear the brunt of the disaster we are creating.”
After the legislation was put in jeopardy, all eyes have turned to the Biden administration, which could try to limit climate change through regulatory action. But experts say it will be difficult for the executive to make up for the emissions reduction deficit which caused the legislative defeat.
Many climate advocates are also calling on the Biden administration to declare a climate emergency, which could unlock additional powers to take on the crisis. So far, Biden hasn’t, but it’s unclear if he eventually will.
In the meantime, Uejio said, there are policies on the adaptation side that both the federal and state governments can apply to limit the damage. He said they include measures like not allowing utilities to turn off power during extreme weather events.
“Recognizing that we have to adapt to some heat now and in the future … there are a variety of policies and programs that are cost-effective and can dramatically reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths,” he said.