Climate Threat Global Challenges

Americans Link Extreme Weather to Climate Crisis

The majority of Americans link extreme weather to climate change. This is shown by a new opinion poll from Data for Progress, writes The Guardian.

One in ten Americans states that extreme weather has increased in the past five years. But it also influenced the type of weather that was discussed.

67 percent believe that heat waves are getting worse, of which 58 percent were Republicans. This stands out because Donald Trump has often dismissed the climate threat as a hoax.

Forest fires came in second place, while hailstorms ended up at the bottom at 59 percent.

According to Grace Adcox, senior climate strategist at Data for Progress, this is because there are regional differences.

– Extreme heat happens to have the largest footprint in the American context compared to some of these other types of extreme weather.

Scientists: Media glamorizes images of extreme heat

Despite extreme heat being a major problem in many parts of the US, only a third of Americans are concerned, according to a new study from Yale, writes the Independent.

The researchers believe that this may be partly due to the media portraying the hot weather as something wonderful.

– The potential danger is that these images can make extreme heat seem pleasant, ordinary or manageable – especially to people who do not already see heat as a serious health risk.

Every year, about 2,000 people in the US die from the heat. During the Fourth of July celebrations alone, 19 people died in New Jersey.