Thread by @AtlanticCouncil

🔥Rising heat: It’s the theme of the summer with more than 1/3 of US states under extreme heat warnings.

Our conception of summer is changing from a time of fun & leisure to a period of emergency. @ArshtRock's @KBMcLeodFLA asks how we can relax when so many people are at risk?

Most people know the effects of global warming:
🌅Rising sea levels
🥀Mass extinction of plants + wildlife
🌊Worsening floods
🔥Fires
⛈Hurricanes

But heat is too often overlooked as a destructive force. Heat kills more Americans annually than any other natural disaster.

We cannot effectively combat extreme heat until we understand its scope.

That’s the motive behind @ArshtRock's new groundbreaking study. The study is designed to quantify some of the most important economic and social impacts of heat in the US today. atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-resea…

While the study focuses on the United States, it has global relevance:

🗝A key lesson is that there’s no escape from the effects of extreme heat. Almost everyone, almost everywhere, at some point soon, will be feeling them.

Here are some of the findings that struck @KBMcLeodFLA most:

💸The economic costs of extreme heat are already huge
🏥Extreme heat is also a significant cause of mortality
🌾Agriculture is suffering

Read more key findings ⬇️ bit.ly/3taN5yj

All of this has serious consequences for the US economy.

Another warning that jumped out to @KBMcLeodFLA: The economic effects of extreme heat are disproportionately borne by Black and Hispanic Americans, who are currently losing 18 percent more in productivity than their White counterparts.

What can we do about it?

🚨National early-warning system for heat waves
🗃Name and categorize heat events
🤝Public + private commitment to address extreme heat

Read more from @KBMcLeodFLA and check out the interactive data that underscores the urgent need for immediate action to address extreme heat.
atlanticcouncil.org/content-series…