Extreme Heat Is the Deadliest Weather Disaster
Hundreds of thousands of people die from extreme temperatures every year, more than any other type of weather disaster
CLIMATEWIRE | The United Nations chief implored government leaders to protect the Earth’s 8.1 billion people from withering heat waves that in recent days have caused deaths, blackouts and drought conditions around the world.
The urgent plea came days after the planet set a new record for the hottest day ever recorded — and then immediately broke it.
On one level, the four-point call-to-action seems almost quaint. Scientists and health officials have known for decades that people have been heating up the planet at great risk to themselves.
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But the stark warning delivered by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres underscored how the consequences of global warming have become more apparent — and dangerous — in recent years.
“If there is one thing that unites our divided world, it’s that we’re all increasingly feeling the heat,” Guterres said on Thursday. “Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere.”
Guterres’ call to action offered four recommendations to world leaders.
First, they should protect their most vulnerable people, because heat disproportionately affects people who are older, or pregnant, or who have preexisting health problems. It is also more dangerous for low-income…
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