Could Naming Heat Waves Save Lives?

Temperatures across the world have been rising faster than scientists, modern technology, weather specialists, and civilians can keep up with. Most recently in the UK, as referred to by CNN as “the Great British Bake Off that no one wanted”, a new analysis concluded that the heat was most likely a result of human-caused climate change. Although this rising issue is nothing new, the current heat waves are becoming more frequent and longer with little evidence of reversal.

The same issue is just as relevant in the United States. States across the nation are in a current ‘state of emergency’ and under extreme heat warnings- such as Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, and more. This week alone, 4 have been found dead in Oregon and it has been preliminarily found to be linked to heat-induced hypothermia. A city in Oregon reached temperatures of 111 degrees, which beat the previous record from 2009. Additionally, more and more cities are beginning to experience personal losses of their populations.

On June 25th, a 24-year-old delivery driver collapsed in his truck as rising temperatures in Los Angeles County became unbearable. As the presence of dangerously high and potentially fatal temperatures Los Angeles, along with other cities, are considering naming these heatwaves- in hopes that it will raise enough public awareness, similar to that of a storm or hurricane. Additionally, these cities hope that by naming these heatwaves, it will urge officials to initiate measures of mitigating the impact of extreme heat.

The amount of Americans dying each year from heat-related illnesses continues to increase. According to the CDC, about 600 Americans die of these illnesses every year- while there are warning of the ‘true figure’ being even higher. While being conscious of what this intensity of heat is capable of doing to the human body is certainly an important aspect in the solution, the real solution will lie in initiative for a change in the way human-caused climate change continues to increase.

This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.