Climate Change Is Making Extreme Heat Worse
Here's what Earthjustice is doing about it.
As global temperatures rise, the hottest temperatures — and the number of areas impacted by extreme heat — are also rising. That means more scorching hot days in more places.
In California’s Death Valley in July 2023, thermometers neared the hottest temperature ever recorded, hovering around 130 degrees. That same month, the average global temperature hit an all-time high.
It’s not just that individual hot days are breaking records — there’s an overall warming trend. Take the Texas cities of Austin and Houston, for example. Over the past 50 years, Austin has seen the number of days with temperatures above 100°F increase by one month, while Houston has recorded an additional month with temperatures above 95°F. In California, temperatures are estimated to have increased 3°F in the past century.
Through 2100, scientists predict hotter temperatures and more frequent and intense heat waves in every region of the U.S., according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. And the trend transcends borders.
Extreme heat increases demand for air conditioning, fueling carbon pollution and putting a strain our energy system that can lead to blackouts. It also poses a serious health threat, especially for the most vulnerable.
Why is this happening?
Human activity is causing rapid changes to our global climate that are contributing to extreme weather conditions.
When fossil fuels are burned for electricity, heat, and transportation, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps solar radiation, is released into our atmosphere.
Over the past century, massive increases in carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gas emissions have caused the temperature on our planet to rise. That spike in global temperatures is fueling climate disasters that will only get worse unless we take action. Experts warn that we are running out of time to dramatically cut pollution to avoid climate catastrophe.
What is Earthjustice doing to help?
Americans across the political spectrum are feeling the urgency of our climate deadline and calling for action on a scale that matches the threat. We need bold and equitable climate solutions to move towards a pollution-free, 100% clean energy future.
Our attorneys use the law and partner with communities on the frontlines to tackle the climate crisis. Here are a few examples of the goals we’re working on and the progress we’ve achieved:
- Move beyond fossil fuels. Earthjustice has secured the retirement of coal plants generating more than 65,000 megawatts a year and stopped the buildout of more than 8,500 megawatts of methane gas. This work has prevented $16.9 billion a year in climate-related costs.
- Clear the way for clean energy. We level the playing field and ensure that utilities, regulators, and grid operators don’t discriminate against clean energy. For example, we won a legal victory against monopoly utilities in the South who had set up an energy market that effectively propped up gas and coal and excluded independent clean energy generators.
- Electrify our economy. Transportation generates more greenhouse gas emissions than any other economic sector in the U.S. Advocacy by Earthjustice and our partners has pushed 10 states home to 100 million people to adopt a zero-emission trucks rule. California, which has the power to shape national industry standards, has also committed to electrifying locomotives and public buses. And at the federal level, we’ve helped secure billions in funding to electrify ports, school buses, and USPS mail trucks.
- Make sure everyone benefits by centering environmental justice and expanding access to clean energy in every community. We supported Puerto Rican advocates in securing $1 billion in federal funding to bring rooftop solar power to low- and moderate-income communities across the territory. This investment will help households keep the power on when hurricanes strike – and we’re fighting for additional funding so that everyone in Puerto Rico can have reliable, safe, and affordable energy.
- Take on the next frontiers. To name just a few efforts, we’re protecting climate forests, promoting climate-smart agriculture, stopping the petrochemical buildout, and challenging dirty hydrogen and carbon capture projects that prolong the use of fossil fuels.
This fight to preserve a livable planet touches everyone. Together, we can drive transformative change in service of the earth and justice for its people.
Learn more about how climate change is fueling extreme weather.