Extreme heat waves supercharged by the climate crisis are here. Here’s what you can do. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

John -

People around the world are currently suffering from extreme heat waves, supercharged by the climate crisis – including here in the U.S.

If you’re one of those affected, John, we hope you and your loved ones are able to stay safe and access the help you need.

As temperatures soar, health risks are rising, water shortages are becoming chronic,¹ roads are melting,² railway lines are burning,³ and there is an ever-growing threat of deadly wildfires.

But the impacts of extreme weather aren’t felt equally. It is the people with underlying medical conditions, people in unstable housing, and the same folks who were hailed as ‘essential workers’ during the height of the pandemic who are the most at risk from the impacts of these heat waves.

While we work to hold those truly responsible accountable, it’s important we take care of ourselves and one another. Here are 5 tips from our team on how to stay healthy and safe in a heat wave:

Cover your windows: Prevent the flow of heat into your home by drawing your curtains and pulling down your blinds.

Stay hydrated: Freeze your water bottles overnight so you have ice cold water to drink throughout the day.

Spritz yourself with cold water. Keep a spray bottle full of cold water close by and use it to mist yourself through the day.

Check in on your community: We are facing unprecedented heat. Make sure to check in on people in your community, particulary elderly and unhoused folks.

Hold politicians accountable: This heatwave is a direct result of the escalting climate crisis that could have been prevented if our polticial leaders had taken timely action. Things will get worse if we don't call on politicans to halt fossil fuel expansion immediately and commit to building a green economy that works for people and the planet.

The impacts of extreme weather events are no accident – they are the result of corporate greed, bad government policy, and leaders who have been bought off by Big Oil.

The media loves to present heat waves as “just a day at the beach.” In reality, these events are serious and threaten the lives and livelihoods of people around the world.

It is vital that we present the full picture of who is responsible for these events – and that’s why we’ve called on government agencies to declare climate emergencies and treat this crisis with the urgency it warrants.

Please read and share the tips above with your loved ones and be sure to check in on each other and your neighbors.

Stay safe and take care,

Ellie May
Global Digital Campaigner
350.org

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1 - BBC News
2 - The National News
3 - City A.M.