A group of scientists reported on February 27 that the record high temperatures experienced during the summer of 2022 are expected to recur in the coming years unless strong efforts are made to address climate change issues.
According to the Associated Press, experts assert that fatalities related to heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and prolonged droughts are anticipated to become increasingly severe as ocean and atmospheric temperatures continue to rise. Even if greenhouse gas emissions are curtailed, the Earth will still experience warming for several decades to come.
Fatalities related to heatwaves are expected to rise as global temperatures continue to warm. (Illustrative Image).
In the study titled “The Virtual Earth Chain: Record High Temperatures Broken”, multidisciplinary scientists at Columbia University presented new concepts and scientific ideas. Radley Horton, a research professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, stated that human-caused climate change has warmed the average global atmospheric temperature by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) over the past few decades.
“Some major consequences, including longer and more intense heatwaves, are occurring in increasingly larger areas,” Horton said.
Meanwhile, Diana Hernandez, an associate professor of Social Science at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, is also researching certain vulnerabilities, such as health conditions or energy access, that may be affected by climate change. Anticipated impacts include disparities in shade, urban heat islands, and inequitable access to energy-powered medical devices.
Cecilia Sorensen, a physician and associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health at Columbia University Medical Center, noted that the climate is changing, and we have not yet adapted to cope with climate change from a health perspective.
“We used to see many patients… people coming in with heart attacks and asthma attacks,” Sorensen said.
Currently, experts express hope for significant progress that can mitigate climate impacts in the future.
Hernandez emphasized that a community-centered approach, particularly one that highlights inclusive participation, will be successful in implementing a range of climate adaptation strategies.
One solution that hospitals can adopt is to develop emergency protocols for treating large numbers of patients suffering from heat exhaustion or related conditions during extreme weather events. Hernandez stressed the need to improve communication to raise awareness of health risks and prevent impacts from high temperatures.
