Scientific American, 20 May 2025

Common-Sense Measures Could Curb Heat-Related Deaths

Extreme heat is becoming more prevalent. We need to protect people who work and play outside.

Extreme heat is the number-one weather-related killer in the U.S., causing hundreds to thousands of deaths every year. And available estimates are assuredly undercounts because heat is not always accounted for on death certificates. The need to protect people is becoming clearer and more urgent as heat waves happen more often, last longer and become hotter with climate change.

Fully dealing with the threat would mean tackling systemic issues, from mitigating climate change to rectifying inequities in who is exposed to heat and can afford to cool themselves off. But there are also common-sense protections that could—and should—be put in place by both businesses and our government to prevent heat illnesses and deaths. These changes make economic sense, but more important, they are the humane thing to do.