October 6, 2024
Opinion Story
by Tara Malhotra
"Tara Talks" Recurring Column
Over 5,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 emergency department visits in the last decade. Temperatures over 117 degrees Fahrenheit (ºF). The hottest October temperatures recorded in 40 years. California’s heat waves are a climate emergency, and we need to take them more seriously.
According to Cable News Network, the issue of heat waves is not new to California. In fact, the state has set records for extreme heat waves for over 100 years. One of the most notable ones took place in 1913 at Death Valley, where temperatures reached 134ºF. Since then, The Los Angeles Times (LA Times) reported that California has only gotten hotter. This year, 14 cities have already broken heat records for the month of October, and these temperatures are projected to increase even more.
Despite the severity of these numbers, people fail to realize the devastating impact of heat waves. As our society continues to burn fossil fuels, we release more greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere that trap warmth and exacerbate heat waves. The worsening California heat waves demonstrate the harm of climate change, right in front of us—yet our government officials are responding with insufficient action.
While there have been some protections for workers in extreme heat, politicians have historically ignored heat waves. An American president has never declared a national emergency due to heat waves. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton both denied requests to issue a disaster declaration despite hundreds of people dying from heat during their terms. Furthermore, President Joe Biden made the same decision in 2022 when Californians faced deadly heat.
We cannot let this trend continue since lives are at stake. I believe the Biden administration should approve a recent petition to revise the Stafford Act, a policy that provides national disaster relief. This revision would include heat waves as a form of natural disaster, allowing communities to receive the necessary medical and financial aid in extreme temperatures. The LA Times found that this support can save lives by funding technology such as cooling centers with air filtration systems along with community solar and storage systems.
The time for action is now, and tangible environmental solutions start with effective public policy. Our government must stand up to heat waves and climate change in order to ensure our safety.
A map of heat waves in America. Map courtesy of Cable News Network.
Comments