Our cool Southern California ”June gloom” recently morphed into typical LA early summer heat. Fortunately for us, proximity to the ocean kept temperatures well below the stunning 110+ F range that torched much of the country this past week. A recent visit to Sacramento with its 115 F peak temperature certainly caught my attention.
Such extreme temperatures put even the healthy at risk. Symptoms may be subtle at first with only light headedness. Visual changes like darkening or tunneling of vision with spots occur next followed by loss of consciousness. Without medical attention death can ensue.
Some populations face enhanced risk. Men do worse than women. Those over 65 are also less tolerant of heat. That vulnerability is compounded by reduced thirst sensitivity and its attendant risk of potentially lethal dehydration. Certain common medications, like diuretics, blood pressure meds, bladder medications and others enhance heat sensitivity.
The risks aren’t just theoretical. Last year was the hottest recorded year since record keeping began in 1850. Not surprisingly, heat related deaths peaked at an all-time high of 2300 nationwide. The international scope of the problem can be seen in the recent heat related deaths of 1300 Muslim pilgrims, as temperatures soared to 125 turning this year’s Haj into a virtual death march. Such statistics may underestimate the toll, as it can be difficult to account for situations in which heat was one of multiple factors contributing to fatality.
What can you do? Limit outdoor exposure when the temperature goes over 90 and be particularly careful if it reaches 100. Bring water with you and try to stay hydrated even if you don’t feel thirsty yet. Lastly, if you have increased risk try to stay indoors, plan outdoor activities for cooler times and delegate outdoor projects to those less vulnerable.
Why is this happening? Climate scientists long ago reached a consensus that human activities create climate change, largely due to carbon dioxide (C02) production. Vehicles with internal combustion engines, winter heating of buildings and construction all contribute. C02 creates a “greenhouse effect,” trapping heat at the Earth’s surface.
Climate science is new enough that we’re still gaining an appreciation for the spectrum of impact. It goes beyond the frightening and progressively increasing summer high temperatures. Increased evaporation of ocean water fuels more destructive hurricanes, as the severity of recent hurricane Beryl showed. Melting polar ice raises sea levels, putting populated low-lying areas at flood risk.
Surprising to me, many political and religious leaders underplay or just ignore environmental risks as though they are someone else’s problem. If religious leaders viewed the Earth, our collective home, as a gift from the Almighty, protecting that endowment would be seen appropriately as a religious and moral imperative.
In the political realm, as during the COVID pandemic, science skepticism provides a convenient alternative to confronting harsh realities. It also contributes to the pandemic of political polarization. President Trump once called climate change “a hoax.” Consistent with that view, his first Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, and his first EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, were both climate change skeptics with ties to the oil and gas industries. Both resigned amid ethics investigations.
Environmentally suspect industries like coal and gas do deserve to participate in government. But such representation belongs in the Commerce and Energy Departments. Handing over key environmental agencies to industry advocates speaks not just to denial of climate science but also to blatant contempt for the future of our environment and for its advocates.
The upcoming election will probably generate more discussion of the fate of the unborn than of climate change.
The upcoming election will probably generate more discussion of the fate of the unborn than of climate change. Yet, the two issues are not entirely unrelated. True concern for the unborn would require consideration for the millions who will be born only to suffer future lives in a planet becoming hotter, dirtier and more dangerous than the home that nurtured the development of our species. These innocents will bear the burdens left by earlier generations, particularly ours.
Hopefully, this summer’s extraordinary heat will serve as a wake-up call-for the upcoming election. The heat will fade by November, but the threat of climate change will not. If voters don’t act to protect the future of their grandchildren and their grandchildren’s grandchildren no one else will. This generation must answer the call.
Dr. Daniel Stone is Regional Medical Director of Cedars-Sinai Valley Network and a practicing internist and geriatrician with Cedars Sinai Medical Group. The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Cedars-Sinai.
