Heat could kill an additional 11,000 Americans by summer 2030

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published 4 April 2016

Extreme heat could claim an additional 11,000 lives in the United States by the summer of 2030, according to a study released on Monday by the Obama administration. The report, which examined the health effects of climate change, predicted that the number could rise to as many as 27,000 additional deaths by 2100.

Climate change is already blamed for some rising health concerns, such as ragweed pollen season, which lasts nearly a month longer than it did in 1995 and causes increased asthma episodes in children, USA Today reports. Wildfires and ozone levels could also increase troubles with breathing. Insect-borne illnesses like West Nile virus and Lyme disease are also spreading.

Monday's report from the White House involved over 100 government scientists at eight federal agencies. The study was extensively peer-reviewed. "Because of the science we have in this report and the modeling that was done, we can say that the increase in heat-related deaths far exceeds the decrease in cold related deaths. And we know that because of science," U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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