Our world is getting hotter. Extreme heat events have been the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. over the last 30 years, and at our current pace of emissions, global temperatures are on track to rise between 2.1–3.5°C by the end of the century.
This week, a heat dome across the Midwest and East Coast created blistering temperatures. Everyone is feeling the changing climate.
Despite extreme heat reaching far and wide, heat waves can not currently be classified as federally declared major disasters in the same way as floods, tornadoes, or hurricanes.
The Extreme Heat Emergency Act (HR 3965) would add extreme heat to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) list of major disaster-qualifying events.
The bill would also ensure that local governments are not left to deal with these types of disasters by guaranteeing they receive the resources they need to stay safe in extreme heat.
The timing for passing the Extreme Heat Emergency Act could not be more urgent. The climate crisis is leading to more prolonged, more intense, and more frequent extreme heat exposure.
Further, this crisis is an issue of environmental justice. Low-income communities and communities of color are faced with many interacting factors that render them more vulnerable to extreme heat.
To protect ourselves and our planet, we must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, but first and foremost, Congress must immediately enact legislation to address extreme heat!
Food & Water Watch and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Action, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate.
This email was sent to [email protected]— and we're glad you got it because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.We're excited to keep working together to make an impact! But if you need to, you can
adjust your preferences or unsubscribe.
