In the summer of 2019, I found myself in Phoenix on a scorching 115-degree day. Despite the extreme heat, I decided to walk to a meeting that was 10 blocks away from my downtown hotel. I underestimated the intensity of the heat, thinking that I could handle it since I grew up in California. However, after just three blocks, I started feeling dizzy. By the time I reached seven blocks, my heart was racing. And after completing the full 10 blocks, I was convinced that I wouldn’t make it.
This experience sparked a three-year journey of research and reporting on the dangers of extreme heat and how it is reshaping our world due to rising temperatures. During this time, I spoke with doctors who explained how high core body temperature can lead to cellular damage. I also traveled to Antarctica to witness the impact of changing ocean temperatures on glacier melt and rising sea levels. In addition, I visited slums in India, scorching apartments in Arizona, and stifling hot garrets in Paris to understand the effects of extreme heat on people’s lives. I even collected mosquitoes in Houston to learn about the connection between hotter temperatures and the spread of diseases like dengue fever and malaria. Furthermore, I spoke with engineers about how heat affects infrastructure like railroad tracks and bridges. Overall, I thought I had a comprehensive understanding of the consequences of extreme heat worldwide.
However, a few weeks before publishing my book in mid-June, a heat dome settled over the Southwest and Mexico, shattering temperature records and turning asphalt into a gooey mess. I had recently moved to Austin, Texas, which is known for its heat, but this was something entirely different. The heat index, a combination of temperature and humidity, soared to an alarming 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The events unfolding around me were eerily similar to what I had reported on in different parts of the world years earlier. I witnessed hikers dying from heatstroke and thousands of dead fish washing up on Gulf Coast beaches due to depleted oxygen levels in hotter waters. The desperate faces of homeless individuals seeking refuge under an overpass near me mirrored those I had seen in India and Pakistan.
One could argue that Texas brought this upon itself. The planet is warming due to fossil fuel emissions, a truth as undeniable as the moon’s presence in the night sky. Texas, having profited greatly from fossil fuels, remains a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, releasing over 600 million metric tons annually—more than double any other state.
The heat dome highlighted the heartlessness of the state’s political leaders. More workers perish from high temperatures in Texas than anywhere else in the country. Yet, on a day when the heat was so unbearable that I couldn’t step outside until after dark, Governor Greg Abbott approved a law eliminating local regulations requiring water breaks for construction workers. Many Texas prisons still lack air conditioning, turning cells into torture chambers during heatwaves, despite the state’s massive budget surplus.
For those fortunate and affluent enough, it may seem as though this life-threatening force hasn’t invaded their world. Just last week, we witnessed four consecutive days setting or tying records as the hottest ever recorded on Earth. Seemingly unconcerned, people sipped iced coffees and bottled water in air-conditioned cafes while the sweltering heat persisted outside. In my neighborhood, a couple tore down a modest house, cleared shade-providing trees, and built a McMansion with a heat-absorbing black roof. The massive compressors for their air conditioning protruded from the house like weapons in the battle against climate change.
Mr. Abbott’s callousness is not surprising considering how many Texans perceive extreme heat as a feeble adversary. In the midst of the Texas heatwave, the official Twitter account of a university football team featured a video of a player running sprints while dragging a heavy chain. The tweet proudly proclaimed, “Working in that Texas heat” alongside a fire emoji, as though risking one’s life in the scorching heat was a testament to true bravery or cowboy-like toughness.
Near my home, there is a gym called “HEAT Bootcamp” that takes pride in enduring heat as a symbol of inner strength, reminiscent of medieval times when heat was associated with masculinity. This perspective may seem outdated, but it persists.
Thankfully, despite the high demand for electricity due to air conditioning usage, the Texas power grid has managed to hold stable, mostly due to the rapid increase in solar panels throughout the state. People have sought refuge in Austin’s green spaces, particularly the Barton Springs pool, proving the significance of cool public areas. At the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, a formerly lifeless courtyard has been transformed into a welcoming shaded patio with elegant, flower petal-shaped structures. This serves as evidence that a cool city can also be a beautiful city.
Among climate activists and individuals concerned about the future of our planet, there is growing emphasis on the need for inspiring stories and hopeful solutions. I wholeheartedly agree. We are not condemned to a future of despair. In fact, I believe that the climate crisis represents an opportunity to redefine our relationship with nature and create a happier, healthier, and more equitable world.
Living under the Texas heat dome has reinforced my conviction that we must confront the magnitude of what we are up against. The extreme heat plaguing many parts of the world this summer is not an anomaly; it is a foretaste of our fiery future. The wildfires in Canada, the apocalyptic skies on the East Coast, the warming oceans, the rapidly melting glaciers worldwide, the escalating food prices, and the unexpected spread of vector-borne diseases—all of these are interconnected and driven by rising temperatures.
We can no longer view hot days simply as opportunities for beach trips and lakeside gatherings. Extreme heat stands as the catalyst for global chaos. Ignoring it would be to our own peril. While considering the risks associated with extreme heat, we must acknowledge that all living beings, from humans to hummingbirds, share a common fate. If the temperature surpasses their Goldilocks Zone—the optimal range for survival—by rising too quickly, they face certain death.
I am the author of the upcoming book, “The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet,” and I believe that it is crucial to approach the climate crisis with open eyes. Only then can we begin to comprehend the scale of the challenge and work towards meaningful solutions.
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