Dr. Thomas K. Liu
A young, healthy man collapsed in a field and could not be woken up. He was rushed to my hospital’s emergency room with a temperature of 105 degrees. He didn’t have a rare infection or hidden cancer, he had a more insidious illness, a disease that affects us all: a burning fever.
The farm worker died of heat stroke.
The Earth has once again reached the milestone of its hottest day on record. Believe it or not, global warming is real and the impacts on human health are serious and deadly.
As we approach the November election, we need to keep the climate crisis top of mind.
Extreme heat and climate change threaten American lives
We are on track Record-high monthly temperatures continue for over a yearand The National Weather Service There is a risk of extreme heat, with localized extreme heat, across the country.
This has direct implications on human health: My patients suffered extreme heat stroke, as the human body suffers from muscle damage and vital organs fail when exposed to extreme heat for extended periods of time.
“This isn’t real.”He left his daughter in a hot car for hours and she died.
More and more Americans are suffering from heatstroke. At least 100,000 Americans died in the last year. 2,300 people died from heatwavesThat was more than any other year on record.
National figures for this year have not yet been released, but many areas are already Counting the deadIn addition to the direct human casualties, One study estimates Extreme heat results in more than 235,000 emergency room visits and $1 billion in medical costs each summer.
And it’s not just rising temperatures that are causing climate change illnesses. There are more wildfires burning across the country, and right now, 5,000 acres per hour Even in my home state of California, wildfires can lead to worsening air pollution, which can lead to more dangerous conditions like asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.
I have seen wards filled with asthmatics exposed to wildfire smoke who cannot breathe properly and finish sentences.
On the other side of the country, climate change is causing more intense weather events like hurricanes. Warmer ocean waters are helping to develop more powerful hurricanes, causing devastation and flooding along the Atlantic coast.
Displaced and vulnerable Americans are more likely to suffer from infections brought on by flooded or moldy areas, and the psychological toll could be devastating.
Trump, Vance and the GOP don’t care about climate change
The damage caused by climate change may seem depressing and insurmountable, and even reusing and recycling bottles and cans has its limitations.
But collectively, we can use the power of our vote to effect real, lasting change through government policy.
The city is only getting hotter.Our homes and asphalt make the heat worse, don’t just complain, stop.
One side of the political spectrum is ready to address climate change and its impacts on our health. The other side has consistently believed that climate change is a man-made problem that needs to be addressed. And that’s not the MAGA Republicans.
At least, according to the Center for American Progress 123 members All Republicans deny manmade climate change. The vast majority of scientists Who actually Study the Earth’s climate.
As president, Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Change Treaty and has called global warming a hoax. “The concept of global warming is “This was created by the Chinese, for the Chinese, to make American manufacturing less competitive.”
As a scientist (and a proud Chinese American), I say: No, climate change is real, and it’s killing Americans.
Republicans are already trying hard Relaxing pollution standards Weakening the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has passed legislation aimed at increasing renewable energy efforts and is working to protect Americans on an individual level by having the Occupational Safety and Health Administration suggest hydration breaks during extreme heat. Such rules might have helped my patient, but Some Republicans are calling it “stupid.”
Only one side of the political aisle is working to protect Americans from the deadly effects of climate change. Now is your chance to make your voice heard. This November, vote for politicians who believe global warming is man-made and want to do something about it. Vote as if your life depends on it. Vote as if the lives of future generations depend on it. Because they do.
Dr. Thomas K. Liu is an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and an attending physician at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Hospital. All opinions are his own. Follow him on X: translation:
