Halfway through the summer months, the majority of the U.S. has already experienced higher than normal temperatures. 2024 is on pace to break the hottest year on record, which was broken just last year, in 2023. In the last few years, cities across the world have broken heat-related records. The City of Phoenix went on a 54-day streak of days over 110°F. Tourists flocked to Death Valley to take a photo in front of the temperature sign reading 133°F. The hottest day in eight decades of recordkeeping was recorded on July 21, 2024.
Heat waves across the U.S. are occurring earlier in the spring and later in the fall. The oil and gas industry is a major contributor to heat waves specifically and climate change generally. These higher temperatures don’t just make us all uncomfortable, they have a direct relationship to a host of health problems that contribute to hospitalizations and deaths across the globe.
The Heat Problem
A joint effort between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determined that, since the 1960s, heat waves have increased in intensity, duration, frequency, and length of heat wave season across the board. The chances of an extreme heat event occurring are closely tied to rising average temperatures globally.
A significant contributor to these heatwave changes is the oil and gas sector. Experts such as the EPA understand that oil and gas development is the largest single source of global greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels as a whole account for 74% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In the U.S., fossil fuels accounted for 93% of CO2 emissions in 2022.
Shale gas operations produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. On a 20-year timescale, methane is more than 80 times more potent than CO2, meaning its contribution to climate change is outsized compared to other greenhouse gases. The International Energy Agency calculates that the energy sector emitted 129 megatons of methane from 2017 to 2020, and that 41 of those megatons, or over 30%, were sourced from fossil gas operations.
As climate change continues to increase average temperatures globally, demand for cooling will also likely increase. It is estimated that by 2050, installed air cooling capacity will be triple what it is today, resulting in a doubling of electricity usage despite efficiency upgrades. While current climate policies in the U.S., such as the Inflation Reduction Act, have made strides in diversifying the country’s energy mix, current policy is likely not doing enough to reach goals intended to transition the country away from shale gas to ensure temperatures do not continue to rise.
Taken together, these circumstances will continue to result in more intense, more frequent heat waves and a whole range of health effects that can be traced back to them.
Health Effects
According to the Pan American Health Organization, while some deaths are caused directly by heat, many more are caused by the exacerbation of already existing conditions, primarily cardiopulmonary, renal, or psychiatric diseases. The acute effects of severe heat events are dangerous to health because they compromise the body’s ability to regulate its temperature. This impact can manifest in a variety of illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, hyperthermia, and heatstroke.
The acute health impacts of heat exposure include:
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke: The most serious acute health risk, heat stroke, is the most dangerous immediate effect, which can be fatal if not treated promptly.
Dehydration: Excessive heat results in sweating, and without adequate fluid replacement, dehydration can occur.
Cardiovascular strain: Heat puts additional stress on the heart and circulatory system, exacerbating existing heart conditions and potentially triggering heart attacks. Cardiovascular disease is already the leading cause of disease burden.
Respiratory issues: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are made worse by high-heat conditions.
Increased risk of accidents: Heat can affect cognitive and motor function, leading to workplace incidents, traffic accidents, or other injuries.
High-heat effects do not act solely in the near term. There are also known chronic health effects of exposure to heat that risk the long-term health of vulnerable populations, including:
Renal problems: As a result of dehydration, heat stress can impact kidney function and conditions that have developed over time.
Cerebrovascular incidents: Heat can increase the risk of strokes.
Heat stress exacerbates already existing chronic conditions, worsening or prolonging symptoms from those diseases and risking further illness or death. Cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and mental health conditions are at the highest risk of worsening.
There is evidence to suggest that pregnancy and birth difficulties can be induced as a result of chronic exposure to extreme heat. Studies have observed that pre-term birth, low birth weight, and stillbirths are associated with high-temperature exposure.
Who Is Affected?
Certain populations are more vulnerable to the effects of heat stress. Individuals who are 65 or older tend to be at higher risk of heat-related health effects due to their body’s diminished ability to regulate its temperature, as well as a reduced ability to adequately perspire and keep cool. This results in older bodies retaining more of the heat they are exposed to, which in turn can increase the stress on normal bodily function or exacerbate existing conditions.
Children are another group more susceptible heatwave-induced stress. Children under the age of 5 sweat less per kilogram than adults and have a higher metabolic rate, resulting in them getting hotter quicker and staying hotter longer than adults. Children of all ages tend to spend more time outside than other age groups, resulting in more exposure.
People with chronic health conditions and those with disabilities are more affected by heat waves. Studies indicate that those with disabilities were more likely to experience some form of health illness compared to their non-disabled counterparts. Restricted mobility can also prevent those with disabilities from reaching cooling centers or seeking medical care, increasing their risk. Approximately one in four adults in the U.S. has a disability.
Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups experience a greater risk of health effects from heat waves. Areas of both urban and rural poor tend to experience lessened access to resources like quality healthcare and access to cooling centers during acute heat events. Disadvantaged neighborhoods also tend to be less-resourced, in addition to having less access to green space and greater susceptibility to the urban heat island effect, which can increase temperatures by as much as 27°F compared to rural areas. Other research indicates that cumulative exposure to extreme heat, particularly among Black older adult populations, is associated with faster cognitive decline.
Shale gas operations are also known to emit a sweeping range of dangerous chemicals in the air and water that are hazardous to human health. In addition to emissions that increase global warming outcomes, shale gas emits compounds that can make asthma worse, cause adverse birth outcomes, and are linked to an increased risk of developing cancers. Residents living near shale gas operations are faced with the twin crises of a warming world and dangerous pollution from nearby oil and gas sites.
What Can Be Done to Safeguard Health?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outline several recommendations to protect health during high-heat events. People of all ages can safeguard their health by taking the following steps:
Stay informed and aware of incoming heat waves to prepare and plan accordingly.
Prepare your home for heat waves with proper cooling and drinking water. Consider these strategies if air conditioning is not available.
Check on vulnerable neighbors ahead of heat waves to ensure those individuals are aware and prepared.
Wear lightweight, breathable, and loose-fitting clothing during extreme heat events.
Remain hydrated and drink more water before and during extreme heat events.
Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible. If air conditioning is not available at home, consider spending time at a mall, library, or other publicly available cooling area. Spending even just a few hours in air conditioning can allow the body to return to a more regulated temperature and avoid additional health risks.
Consult a doctor or local health department to learn about any available resources during a heat wave. Health departments should be aware of any opportunities for cooling and be able to refer individuals to medical help should the need arise. Emergency response planning and guidance will also come from local or state health departments.
Eat cold foods or use the microwave instead of a stovetop or oven to warm food without adding additional heat to indoor spaces.
Take cool showers or baths to regulate temperature.
Keep a rotating supply of ice packs and compresses for additional cooling.
All this guidance and more, including the recently released HeatRisk Forecast Tool, can be found at the CDC website.
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