Extreme heat is a health crisis, Columbia experts say
1 year, 9 months ago

Extreme heat is a health crisis, Columbia experts say

Associated Press  

The record-breaking heat Earth endured during the summer of 2022 will be repeated without a robust international effort to address climate change, a panel of scientists warned Monday. Radley Horton, a research professor at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, stated that human-induced climate change has caused the global average atmospheric temperature to warm by about 2 degrees in the last several decades. Additionally, Horton said, certain climate models have underestimated just how extreme certain events can be, such as the European heat wave of 2022 and the Pacific Northwest heat wave of 2021. “The climate is changing, and we are not adapted to be able to deal with it from a health perspective,” said Cecilia Sorensen, a physician and associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Columbia University Medical Center. people coming in with heart attacks and asthma exacerbations.” Despite the foreboding climate projections, the panelists expressed hope that considerable strides can be made to minimize future climate impacts related to extreme heat.

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History of this topic

Young people are dying of heat and their risks could grow, study finds
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Young people are dying of heat and their risks could grow, study finds

NPR  

Young people are dying of heat and their risks could grow, study finds toggle caption Ulises Ruiz/AFP via Getty Images Extreme heat puts stress on everyone's bodies. "Young people are disproportionately vulnerable to heat," says Andrew Wilson, an environmental scientist at Stanford University and an author of the new analysis. But "sometimes we forget to talk about this population in …

Heatwave hotspots that should not exist are popping up across the world
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Heatwave hotspots that should not exist are popping up across the world

India Today  

The year 2023 has officially been recorded as the hottest year in history, with global temperatures averaging 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average, surpassing the previous record set in 2016. Amid this unprecedented rise in temperatures, a new study reveals a concerning phenomenon: certain regions across the globe are experiencing extreme heat waves that exceed predictions made by climate …

Extreme weather poses threat to people's health
1 month, 1 week ago

Extreme weather poses threat to people's health

China Daily  

Climate change is emerging as one of the most severe threats to humanity, with intensifying global warming leading to more frequent and extreme weather events, causing water and food scarcities, disrupting the natural and social systems that underpin human health, exacerbating inequality, and hindering economic growth. The impacts of climate change on human health are complex and diverse, which can …

Extreme weather poses threat to people's health
1 month, 1 week ago

Extreme weather poses threat to people's health

China Daily  

Climate change is emerging as one of the most severe threats to humanity, with intensifying global warming leading to more frequent and extreme weather events, causing water and food scarcities, disrupting the natural and social systems that underpin human health, exacerbating inequality, and hindering economic growth. The impacts of climate change on human health are complex and diverse, which can …

Heat, air pollution, disease: How climate change affects health
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Heat, air pollution, disease: How climate change affects health

New Indian Express  

PARIS: Record-breaking heat, extreme weather events, air pollution and the spread of infectious disease: climate change poses an already vast yet rising threat to the health of humans around the world, experts warn. "Climate change is making us sick, and urgent action is a matter of life and death," the World Health Organization warned this week. Extreme heat The EU's …

Health risks of climate change reach record-breaking levels
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Health risks of climate change reach record-breaking levels

China Daily  

By Jonathan Powell | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-10-31 21:02 Children play at an improvised soccer field in the dry area of Lake Tefe, amid what the national disaster monitoring agency Cemaden has already called Brazil's worst drought since at least the 1950s, in Tefe, Amazonas State, Brazil October 18, 2024. People worldwide faced an unprecedented 50 extra days of health-threatening …

Diseases linked to climate change to be monitored
3 months ago

Diseases linked to climate change to be monitored

China Daily  

China plans to improve early warning systems for climate-sensitive diseases and strengthen the medical system's resilience and emergency response ability to extreme climate events as part of efforts to tackle climate change, which an action plan released on Tuesday dubbed the most complicated public health problem. By next year, China will strengthen construction of a monitoring system for diseases that …

New research forecasts a future of freakier weather, but experts say the risks may be downplayed
3 months, 2 weeks ago

New research forecasts a future of freakier weather, but experts say the risks may be downplayed

Salon  

The effects of climate change are being felt more and more each year. "Our study shows that extreme temperature and rainfall will increase rapidly over many regions of the world over the next two decades compared to the changes we have experienced in the past due to natural variations in the climate," lead author Dr. Carly Iles from the CICERO …

United Nations urges nations to adopt several proposals aimed at reducing heat deaths; asks to care for vulnerable people
4 months, 3 weeks ago

United Nations urges nations to adopt several proposals aimed at reducing heat deaths; asks to care for vulnerable people

The Hindu  

After three of Earth's hottest days ever measured, the United Nations called for a flurry of efforts to try to reduce the human toll from soaring and searing temperatures, calling it “an extreme heat epidemic.” “If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it's that we're all increasingly feeling the heat,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said …

UN asks nations to better prepare, cool the vulnerable as ‘extreme heat epidemic’ breaks records
4 months, 4 weeks ago

UN asks nations to better prepare, cool the vulnerable as ‘extreme heat epidemic’ breaks records

Associated Press  

After three of Earth’s hottest days ever measured, the United Nations called for a flurry of efforts to try to reduce the human toll from soaring and searing temperatures, calling it “an extreme heat epidemic.” “If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it’s that we’re all increasingly feeling the heat,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday …

Global temperatures reach Paris Agreement target of 1.5C above average for 12 months in a row
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Global temperatures reach Paris Agreement target of 1.5C above average for 12 months in a row

ABC  

Earth has just hit a concerning climate milestone, with data showing global temperatures have now reached or broken the Paris Agreement threshold for 12 months in a row. ­ "There's nothing really natural about many of these weather and climate events that we're seeing all over the world," Dr Pershing said. Dr Pershing said this was so they could separate …

More records expected to shatter as long-running blanket of heat threatens 130 million in U.S.
5 months, 2 weeks ago

More records expected to shatter as long-running blanket of heat threatens 130 million in U.S.

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — Roughly 130 million people were under threat Saturday and into next week from a long-running heat wave that already has broken records with dangerously high temperatures — and is expected to shatter more from East Coast to West Coast, forecasters said. Oppressive heat and humidity could team up to spike temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in parts …

Record-setting heat will continue to torment millions of Americans this weekend
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Record-setting heat will continue to torment millions of Americans this weekend

CNN  

CNN — The weekend is off to a sizzling start as more than one-third of US residents face heat advisories and additional cities are expected to see record temperatures in the coming days. Even in the Pacific Northwest, the heat is punishing Parts of Oregon will experience triple digits up to five days with poor overnight relief, the National Weather …

Biden proposes new rule to protect 36 million workers from extreme heat
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Biden proposes new rule to protect 36 million workers from extreme heat

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace, warning — as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories — that high temperatures are the country’s leading weather-related killer. If finalized, the measure would protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat …

US homeless suffer disproportionate impact of heat wave
5 months, 4 weeks ago

US homeless suffer disproportionate impact of heat wave

China Daily  

A person takes a break in the shade of a sidewalk as temperatures are expected to soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer's first heat, in Sacramento, California, US, June 4, 2024. Despite the relief in the northeastern part of the United States, people from the Plains to the Southeast continue to suffer from heat waves, with temperatures reaching …

US homeless suffer disproportionate impact of heat wave
5 months, 4 weeks ago

US homeless suffer disproportionate impact of heat wave

China Daily  

Xinhua | Updated: 2024-06-26 15:35 A person takes a break in the shade of a sidewalk as temperatures are expected to soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer's first heat, in Sacramento, California, US, June 4, 2024. Despite the relief in the northeastern part of the United States, people from the Plains to the Southeast continue to suffer from …

Deadly heatwaves in US, Mexico made more likely by climate change
6 months ago

Deadly heatwaves in US, Mexico made more likely by climate change

Al Jazeera  

Deadly heat that recently blanketed the United States, Mexico and Central America was made 35 times more likely due to global warming, an international network of climate scientists has said. The World Weather Attribution group also said the extreme highs experienced across the region in May and June were four times as likely to occur today as a quarter of …

Extreme heat making summer Olympics ‘impossible’, athletes warn ahead of Paris
6 months ago

Extreme heat making summer Olympics ‘impossible’, athletes warn ahead of Paris

The Independent  

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our …

As 12 months of record heat stack up, scientists unpack the impacts around the globe
6 months, 2 weeks ago

As 12 months of record heat stack up, scientists unpack the impacts around the globe

ABC  

A new report by a team of international climate scientists shows the staggering amount of extreme heat days each country across the globe experienced last year, with the majority made more likely by human-induced climate change. It comes as the world hits an alarming climate milestone, with data showing last month was the hottest May on record, marking what has …

Editorial: California is facing another record-breaking hot summer. We aren’t ready
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Editorial: California is facing another record-breaking hot summer. We aren’t ready

LA Times  

After a chilly spring it seems hard to believe that the gloom would ever leave Southern California. For example, the governor’s office revamped the state’s extreme heat plan with a new 72-page document detailing four “tracks” to protect California from the effects of rising temperatures, including developing a public heath monitoring system, helping communities prepare for heat waves and increasing …

This summer could be even hotter than last year, climate scientists warn
7 months ago

This summer could be even hotter than last year, climate scientists warn

Salon  

Marine scientist Sharon Gray lives on a catamaran off the Florida west coast. As the cyclical La Niña weather pattern in the Pacific combines with rising sea surface temperatures, Gray predicts a "devastating" hurricane will occur in summer 2024. Gray said that the upcoming summer will bring with it increased melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, which will …

How much worse will extreme heat get by 2050? New report outlines worrisome future
7 months ago

How much worse will extreme heat get by 2050? New report outlines worrisome future

LA Times  

The next quarter of a century will bring considerable climate danger to millions of Americans living in disadvantaged communities, who will not only experience increased exposure to life-threatening extreme heat but also greater hardships from reduced energy reliability, a new nationwide report has found. Under a moderate-emissions scenario — one in which current fossil fuel consumption peaks in the coming …

The value of attributing extreme events to climate change | Explained
7 months ago

The value of attributing extreme events to climate change | Explained

The Hindu  

Just a couple of decades ago, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change argued that individual weather events could not be attributed to climate change. The science has since evolved, albeit with all its attendant uncertainties, and now we regularly hear of researchers having been able to attribute some individual extreme events to climate change. Economically developing countries, in particular …

What impact will the unrelenting heat have on India’s future health? | In Focus podcast
7 months, 3 weeks ago

What impact will the unrelenting heat have on India’s future health? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

This March was the hottest on record globally, the 10th month in a row to hit this peak. This doesn’t feel surprising – most parts of India have been sweltering since last month, the India Meteorological Department or IMD hadd forecast heatwave conditions in parts of at least 10 States last week and it‘s only going to get worse in …

UN labor agency report warns of rising threat of excess heat, climate change on world’s workers
8 months ago

UN labor agency report warns of rising threat of excess heat, climate change on world’s workers

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The U.N. labor organization warned Monday that over 70% of the world’s workforce is likely to be exposed to excessive heat during their careers, citing increased concern about exposure to sunlight. In a new report, the International Labor Organization suggested ways that governments can improve their legislation and help cope with the rising effects of climate change on …

Editorial: If 10 straight months of record-breaking heat isn’t a climate emergency, what is?
8 months, 1 week ago

Editorial: If 10 straight months of record-breaking heat isn’t a climate emergency, what is?

LA Times  

Californians have had weekend after weekend of cool, stormy weather and the Sierra Nevada has been blessed with a healthy snowpack. The planet is experiencing a horrifying streak of record-breaking heat, with March marking the 10th month in a row that the average global temperature has been the highest ever recorded. The concept of a higher average global temperature doesn’t …

Health Talk | Protect yourself this summer season
8 months, 1 week ago

Health Talk | Protect yourself this summer season

Hindustan Times  

Last week, the Prime Minister chaired a meeting to review the country’s preparedness for the upcoming heat wave season, as the country’s weather forecasting agency, India Meteorological Department warned of at least double the usual number of heatwave days between April and June. For the general public, the advisory has asked people to stay hydrated, stay covered and eat fruit …

WA had its hottest summer ever, but climate change and heat-related health problems barely made the news
9 months ago

WA had its hottest summer ever, but climate change and heat-related health problems barely made the news

ABC  

In early February of this year, when the Perth heat really got going, my partner was 28 weeks pregnant. "And if we are seeing discussion of climate change around the WA heatwaves, it's very infrequent and often in passing," she said. "We can say that, overall, the reporting of climate change and heatwaves for the month of February in Australia …

Scientists explain Antarctica’s raving 2022 heatwave in groundbreaking papers
11 months, 1 week ago

Scientists explain Antarctica’s raving 2022 heatwave in groundbreaking papers

The Hindu  

Climate scientists don’t like surprises. But they provide scientists a deeper understanding of the links between the tropics and Antarctica – and give the global community a chance to prepare for what a warmer world may bring. When the tropical air collided with this so-called “blocking high”, it caused the most intense atmospheric river ever observed over East Antarctica. The …

The world has experienced its hottest 12 months on record, and El Niño is set to drive temperatures higher
1 year, 1 month ago

The world has experienced its hottest 12 months on record, and El Niño is set to drive temperatures higher

ABC  

The world has just experienced its hottest 12-month period in recorded history, with the average global temperature over 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels between November 2022 and October this year. "Looking at the climate shift index, we could see that close to 5.8 billion people actually, in this past year, experienced temperatures higher than the normal monthly averages," she …

2.2 billion people could face heat waves beyond survival limit: Study
1 year, 2 months ago

2.2 billion people could face heat waves beyond survival limit: Study

Hindustan Times  

India and the Indus Valley will experience the first deadly moist heat waves and, subsequently, substantial increases in accumulated hot hours per year, a new paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has said. The paper led by Penn State College of Health and Human Development and the Purdue College of Sciences and Purdue’s Institute for a …

This summer was a global record breaker for the highest heat ever measured, meteorologists say
1 year, 3 months ago

This summer was a global record breaker for the highest heat ever measured, meteorologists say

The Hindu  

Earth has sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Editorial | Mercury rising: On an ‘era of global boiling’ The world's oceans — more than 70% of the Earth's surface — were the hottest ever recorded, nearly 21 C, …

This summer broke the world record for the highest temperature officially recorded
1 year, 3 months ago

This summer broke the world record for the highest temperature officially recorded

Associated Press  

GENEVA — Earth has sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The world’s oceans — more than 70% of the Earth’s surface — were the hottest ever recorded, nearly 21 C, and have set high temperature marks for three …

UN announces ‘climate breakdown’ after record summer heat
1 year, 3 months ago

UN announces ‘climate breakdown’ after record summer heat

Al Jazeera  

“Climate breakdown has begun”, the United Nations chief has warned as the World Meteorological Organization reported that the world went through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer on record. The WMO, citing data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, said on Wednesday that last month was the the hottest August on record “by a large margin” and the second …

UK’s 40C summer of 2022 ‘will seem cool’ as extreme weather events become frequent, Met Office warns
1 year, 4 months ago

UK’s 40C summer of 2022 ‘will seem cool’ as extreme weather events become frequent, Met Office warns

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The sweltering 40C summer in Britain last year “will be considered cool” by the turn …

UN chief says Earth in ‘era of global boiling’, calls for radical action
1 year, 4 months ago

UN chief says Earth in ‘era of global boiling’, calls for radical action

Al Jazeera  

UN chief Antonio Guterres calls the intense heat across the northern hemisphere ‘terrifying’ as he calls for radical action on climate change. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday pleaded for immediate radical action on climate change, saying that record-shattering July temperatures show Earth has passed from a warming phase into an “era of global boiling”. “For the entire planet, …

Playing with fire: We are not just breaking heat records, we are smashing them
1 year, 4 months ago

Playing with fire: We are not just breaking heat records, we are smashing them

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The frequency and intensity of recent …

Human-induced climate crisis responsible for killer heatwaves sweeping planet, scientists say
1 year, 4 months ago

Human-induced climate crisis responsible for killer heatwaves sweeping planet, scientists say

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The researchers evaluated the role of climate crisis in these extreme heat events using peer-reviewed methods, weather station data …

Hellhounds of summer: The hottest heatwave in human history just keeps getting worse
1 year, 5 months ago

Hellhounds of summer: The hottest heatwave in human history just keeps getting worse

Salon  

The global heatwave continues to sizzle as humanity experiences its hottest summer on record. Welcome to the world altered by climate change: Heatwaves are so bad, they've been named after literal hellhounds, at least in the case with the ongoing European heatwave Cerberus, that received its moniker from the Italian Meteorological Society. However, it may be apt considering 61,000 Europeans …

Tourists and residents warned to stay inside as deadly heat hits Europe during peak travel season
1 year, 5 months ago

Tourists and residents warned to stay inside as deadly heat hits Europe during peak travel season

Associated Press  

MILAN — Officials warned residents and tourists packing Mediterranean destinations on Tuesday to stay indoors during the hottest hours as the second heat wave in as many weeks hits the region and Greece, Spain and Switzerland battled wildfires. “We are experiencing hotter and hotter temperatures for longer stretches of time every single summer here in Europe.” The new heat wave …

World reels from wildfires, floods as US, China discuss climate crisis
1 year, 5 months ago

World reels from wildfires, floods as US, China discuss climate crisis

Firstpost  

With scientists saying the target of keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels is moving beyond reach, evidence of the crisis was everywhere Global temperatures headed towards alarming highs and extreme weather proliferated as the world’s two biggest polluters, China and the United States, sought on Monday to reignite climate talks. ‘VERY SCARY’ The high temperatures are …

Heat waves in Europe killed more than 61,600 people last summer, a study estimates
1 year, 5 months ago

Heat waves in Europe killed more than 61,600 people last summer, a study estimates

NPR  

Heat waves in Europe killed more than 61,600 people last summer, a study estimates Enlarge this image toggle caption Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images Heat waves in Europe killed more than 61,000 people — most of them women — last summer, according to an estimate published in the journal Nature on Monday. "The fact that …

Our 'Scorched Planet' is getting hotter, and no one is immune to rising temperatures
1 year, 5 months ago

Our 'Scorched Planet' is getting hotter, and no one is immune to rising temperatures

NPR  

Our 'Scorched Planet' is getting hotter, and no one is immune to rising temperatures Author Jeff Goodell warns a new climate regime is coming: "We don't really know what we're heading into and how chaotic this can get." And one of the scary things that's happening right now - not just with heat, but heat is the clearest expression of …

Extreme heat contributed to more than 60,000 deaths in Europe last year
1 year, 5 months ago

Extreme heat contributed to more than 60,000 deaths in Europe last year

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “The findings of the current study, with over 61,000 estimated heat-related deaths, further support the evidence that heatwaves have …

The new "abnormal": Experts agree climate change will intensify droughts and heatwaves in the future
1 year, 5 months ago

The new "abnormal": Experts agree climate change will intensify droughts and heatwaves in the future

Salon  

Imagine a future in which one-fifth of the planet is regularly subjected to boiling heatwaves and blistering droughts. "It's a 'new abnormal' and it is now playing out in real time—the impacts of climate change are upon us in the form of unprecedented, dangerous extreme weather events." "Compound drought and heatwaves severely threaten socio-ecological systems, leading to greater impacts — …

Europe's 2022 summer heat record not a ‘one-off’ as…
1 year, 6 months ago

Europe's 2022 summer heat record not a ‘one-off’ as…

Hindustan Times  

Europe's summer last year was the hottest on record and caused thousands of deaths, a joint report by World Meteorological Organization and European Union scientists confirmed, while warning that such events could become more routine. People cross a bridge over the dry river bed, The report on the state of the climate said Europe was the fastest warming continent on …

Explained: how a temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius impacts billions
1 year, 6 months ago

Explained: how a temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius impacts billions

The Hindu  

Published : May 24, 2023 16:00 IST - 5 MINS READ About two billion people will live in hazardous heat conditions by the end of the century if climate policies continue on their current trajectory, according to new research published in the Nature Sustainability journal. “It invariably distorts value away from human lives and towards centres of wealth,” Ashish Ghadiali, …

DC Edit | Summer may see extreme heat
1 year, 8 months ago

DC Edit | Summer may see extreme heat

Deccan Chronicle  

It’s summer and along with the season heatwaves are inevitable, particularly in El Nino years. It is also a freakish timing of the poll cycles that sees most general elections being held in the peak of summer, as they would probably be in 2024 as well, thus increasing the risk of exposure of people to the hazards of increasing wet …

Study: Climate change causing more 'heat stress' in Europe
1 year, 8 months ago

Study: Climate change causing more 'heat stress' in Europe

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Extreme weather events are becoming more severe, not less
54 years, 11 months ago

Extreme weather events are becoming more severe, not less

Associated Press  

CLAIM: Climate, weather or meteorological events that we would classify as “extreme” have declined in severity over the last 20 or 30 years. Scientific research has documented how events including extreme precipitation, droughts and forest fires have become more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. THE FACTS: A podcast clip shared on Instagram this week falsely claims …

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