This lesson is part of our Climate 101 educational series for parents and K-12 educators.
It’s getting hot in here — “here” being the earth in general. Average global temperatures are on the rise, contributing to more frequent severe weather events, including storms, wildfires, and that summertime staple, extreme heat.
High temperatures are a serious public health concern. Extreme heat kills more Americans each year than any other weather-related event. Neighborhoods with less green space, more poverty, and older infrastructure are particularly at risk. Black and brown communities are often exposed to intensified extreme heat, since those areas have been historically subjected to racist policies such as disinvestment and redlining.
Scientists predict that unless we do something about climate change, both off-the-charts heat indexes (when it feels warmer than 127 degrees Fahrenheit) and back-to-back heat waves (cycles of extreme heat interspersed with only short breaks of normal weather) will become more common. But the good news is that it’s not too late to do something about extreme heat! Climate action could still avert hundreds of heat-related death... Read more