The Heat Will Kill You First

Heat, an invisible but deadly force, stalks Earth’s living things at escalating levels.

In 2021, Pacific Northwest residents suffered an extreme heat wave produced by a suffocating heat dome. In 24 hours, Portland’s temperature jumped from 76^oF to 114^oF. Mountain ice melts brought swirling floods and mudslides so intense that satellites could see their “gray plumes.” Salmon struggled as if they were “breathing with a plastic bag over their heads.” Baby hawks abandoned over-heated nests, berries desiccated on the stalk, and broadleaf trees withered and died. Power companies struggled to keep up with unprecedented demands. The human death toll after 72 hours was estimated at 1,000. 

Most people see global warming as a slow, incremental process, but the Earth is quickly heating because of fossil fuel emissions. The planet is more than halfway to the 3.6°C temperature increase scientists recognize as a tipping point. Climate impacts such as drought, fires, and sea level rise are “second-order” effects. The primary planetary crisis is relentless heat, resulting in coastal flooding, dried out plants ...