Heat Waves and Climate Change

The document details how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of heat waves in the United States, leading to higher mortality rates and significant disruptions. It highlights the disproportionate vulnerability of children, the elderly, low-income and minority populations, and outdoor workers. Beyond health, extreme heat damages transportation infrastructure, reduces agricultural yields, and strains the electricity grid, necessitating a transition to low-carbon energy solutions and adaptive urban design to mitigate these risks.

• Extreme heat is one of the deadliest weather hazards in the United States, causing heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, while also increasing cardiovascular and respiratory mortality and heart attacks.
• Vulnerability to heat stress is not evenly distributed; non-white and low-income residents face higher risks due to limited healthcare access, inability to afford air conditioning, and residence in hotter urban areas. Children under 14 and adults aged 65 and older are also biologically more vulnerable.
• Extreme heat disrupts education and labor; many US schools lack adequate air conditioning, leading to closures and diminished student performance. Outdoor workers, particularly in construction and agriculture, face high fatality rates, often exacerbated by piece-rate pay structures that discourage breaks.
• Urban areas experience the 'urban heat-island effect,' where heat-retaining materials like asphalt and cement keep cities warmer than surrounding areas, particularly at night, preventing residents from finding relief.
• Extreme heat causes significant economic and physical damage to infrastructure, including buckling roads and rail tracks, and limiting aircraft takeoff weights or causing flight cancellations when temperatures exceed operable limits.
• Rising temperatures strain the energy grid through increased cooling demand, which can increase electricity prices and air pollution if met by fossil-fuel 'peaker' plants. Transitioning to wind, solar, and energy storage can improve grid resilience.
• Agricultural productivity is negatively impacted by heat stress, specifically affecting photosynthesis and flowering in crops and reducing milk production in the dairy industry, which costs the average American dairy approximately $39,000 annually.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). Heat Waves and Climate Change. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/08/extreme-heat-impacts-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Heat Waves and Climate Change. 2018. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/08/extreme-heat-impacts-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Heat Waves and Climate Change |date=August 2018 |url=https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/08/extreme-heat-impacts-fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2018heat, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Heat Waves and Climate Change}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/08/extreme-heat-impacts-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }