The Invisible Killer
Book: The Heat Will Kill You First by Jeff Goodell
Heat is not just a distant concern for future generations. It is a pressing issue that is already wreaking havoc on our planet and threatening the well-being of humanity. In his recent book, The Heat Will Kill You First, Jeff Goodell, a journalist and writer that has extensively covered the impact of climate change, provides a comprehensive and sobering account of the devastating effects of rising temperatures on both human bodies and the environment.
Goodell incorporates scientific research and data to provide a detailed account of the impact of rising temperatures on human bodies and the planet, including the impact of heatwaves on human health and the impact of rising sea levels on coastal communities.
Heatwaves, fuelled by climate change, have already claimed numerous lives and caused widespread suffering. Goodell presents real-life examples, such as the 2003 European heatwave that claimed in just a few days, an estimated 70,000 lives, to illustrate the severity of the impact on human health. The vulnerable members of society, including low-income communities and communities of colour, bear the brunt of extreme heat. Goodell emphasizes the need to address this inequality and ensure that everyone has access to the resources necessary to stay safe during heatwaves. Taking action to mitigate the effects of heatwaves is crucial, and infrastructure improvements, such as the implementation of "cool roofs," can help reduce the urban heat island effect.
Rising temperatures caused by climate change also pose a significant threat to agriculture and food security. Goodell highlights how extreme heat damages crops, reduces yields, and compromises the quality of agricultural products. This, combined with the impacts on livestock, can contribute to food shortages and price increases. As climate conditions change, agricultural systems struggle to adapt, further exacerbating the compromised food supply and increasing food insecurity.
The impact of climate change extends beyond human health and agriculture. Wildlife is also struggling to survive in hotter and drier conditions. Goodell cites examples of animals, such as polar bears and coral reefs, that are already experiencing population declines due to the changing climate. The loss of biodiversity and the disruption of ecosystems have far-reaching consequences for the planet and its inhabitants.
One of the gravest consequences of climate change is rising sea levels and their impact on coastal communities. Goodell describes real-world examples of places already experiencing flooding and erosion due to encroaching waters. He also discusses the changes that are happening in Antarctica. The melting of Antarctic ice, driven by both atmospheric and ocean warming, poses a significant threat. The warm water erodes the ice shelves from below, making them thinner and weaker. The warm water can also reach the grounding line, which is where the ice sheet meets the ocean floor. This can cause the grounding line to retreat inland, exposing more ice to melting and increasing its instability.
“As it turned out, a lot was going on in Antarctica. The ice shelves were thinning, warmer water was pushing in beneath the glaciers, and the glaciers were flowing faster. The whole place was in a dramatic flux. How fast it go? Nobody knew. Was it possible that the biggest threat to submerging coastal cities wasn’t Greenland after all but Antarctica? If all of Greenland were to melt, that’s twenty-two feet of sea-level rise. When Antarctica goes, it’s two hundred feet.
‘Antarctica used to be the sleeping elephant,’ Mark Serreze, the head of the National Snow and Ice Data Center, told me. ‘But now the elephant is stirring.’”
“The simple truth is,” wrote Jeff Goodell in his previous book The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities and the Remaking of the Civilized World “human beings have become a geological force on the planet, with the power to reshape the boundaries of the world in ways we didn’t intend and we don’t entirely understand”. As the waters rise, millions of these people will be displaced.
Jeff Goodell primarily focuses on the effects of extreme heat, and he writes in a vivid, clear, and accessible style, making it easy for readers to understand the complex issues at hand. He argues that we need to take action on multiple fronts to address the impact of extreme heat caused by climate change. But the most important step we can take is to decrease our carbon emissions and switch to sustainable energy sources. This will help us minimize the worst effects of climate change.