“The United States having to cancel major Fourth of July celebrations due to extreme heat is almost a metaphor for the country’s failure to combat global warming,” Fossil Free Media director Jimmy Henn told Common Dreams. “How we confront the climate crisis will determine much about the next 250 years of American history, including whether or not we survive that far. The revolution we need today is a clean energy revolution so we can finally declare our independence from fossil fuels.”
Temperature records were set or broken at 22 locations on Thursday and 17 on Friday. According to CNNas the capital broke a 120-year-old record on both days with temperatures above 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
the heat Forced Temporary closing Friday afternoon for the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, seven in attendance required “Advanced life support,” possibly due to heat exposure, according to CNN.
Local emergency workers said guests were “dropping like flies” because of the heat, Matt Wren, influencer and director of creative partnerships for the Democratic National Committee, reported from the State Fair on Saturday.
Meanwhile, one group that tried to draw attention to the climate emergency at a July 4 event was fired for its efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Times Union reported. I mentioned. The nonprofit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater attempted to join Saturday’s Sail4th 250 Tall Ships parade into New York Harbor when the Guard removed its sailboat. The Coast Guard later said it was because of signs the boat was displaying that read “Clean Water Rescue Act” and “Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, and Climate Solutions,” even though the group had the event organizer’s permission to participate.
The heat dome that settled over the central and eastern United States over the July 4 weekend is so dangerous in part because it includes high humidity along with high heat, with heat indexes of 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit expected in some places. This corresponds to a wet bulb global temperature (WBGT) – a measurement that takes into account heat, humidity and airflow – of 28-30°C, at which point it is dangerous for even healthy people to engage in physical activity outdoors. According to World Weather Attribution, the current heatwave has broken WBGT regional records.
“This is still a relatively rare event even in today’s climate, which has warmed by 1.4°C due to the burning of fossil fuels. In a climate 1.4°C cooler, high WBGTs like those expected in early July 2026 would be so extreme as to be virtually impossible,” the group wrote on Friday.
Frederick Otto, Professor of Climate Science at Imperial College London, He said CNN, “When a historic Fourth of July celebration is disrupted, and World Cup matches are played in unsafe conditions for players and fans, it shouldn’t take another scientific study to wake people up.”
“Climate change has arrived, is already affecting the things we enjoy in our daily lives, and will continue to get worse the longer the inevitable transition to net zero emissions continues,” Otto continued.
Climate scientist and reporter Katharine Hayhoe I encouraged People should use this opportunity to talk about the climate emergency to their friends and family:
Heat waves are nothing new. But I’m a climate scientist, and I can tell you that heat waves like this are nearly impossible without fossil fuel pollution. Not only that, but when extreme weather hits, research shows that linking it to climate change helps people understand why it matters. And do you know who are the most trusted people to do this? Not scientists. You! Yes, the people we know are the most effective messengers for having these conversations. So, if you’re concerned about what’s happening and how extreme heat is putting us at risk, talk about it!
While the United States is the world’s leading historical emitter of greenhouse gases, and its military is the No. 1 corporate climate polluter, the Trump administration in particular has taken steps to accelerate the climate emergency by increasing oil, gas, and coal production while hindering renewable energy development.
“Trump’s promotion of burning coal and eliminating wind turbines makes him the Benedict Arnold of America’s current conflict, not the George Washington.”
Just two days before the nation’s birthday, Energy Secretary and fracking CEO Chris Wright splurge On social media, the Trump administration will end subsidies for new wind and solar energy on July 4.
Climatologist Rebecca Jones The fire returned: “During a record heat wave, no less. Fossil fuel industries received $549 billion in direct subsidies, and $7 trillion in tax benefits. They average $30 billion per year in upfront taxpayer money. All renewable energy received $400 million per year from 1994-2009.”
Tennessee State Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-20) also He called Movement: “Talk about ‘slugs versus salt’ — the heat index is 119 degrees in the eastern US this week — these guys are all ecstatic.”
In a post dated July 4, researcher Juan Cole said Argue That President Donald Trump’s climate policies amounted to treason.
He added: “Since 2018, about 13,000 Americans have died due to heat.” “Trump’s promotion of burning coal and eliminating wind turbines makes him the Benedict Arnold of America’s current conflict, not the George Washington.”
Cole noted that the current heatwave was part of a pattern of hotter summers in the nation’s capital due to the climate emergency, noting that the past decade has been the hottest on record.
He continued:
The bad news is that this is only the beginning. Summers in the capital will become more dangerous every decade unless we stop dangerous carbon emissions.
Average summer temperature in the capital It can reach 97 degrees Fahrenheit in the 2080s If we continue to emit carbon dioxide at our current rate. Humidity will also increase as the Atlantic Ocean warms and releases more water vapor into the atmosphere. The atmosphere’s ability to retain water vapor increases by 7% with every 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature.
That, combined with frequent storms and sea level rise, opens up the possibility that the capital will be “unlivable in the summer during the lifetime of my younger readers,” he wrote.
“Trump is helping climate change achieve what the British military couldn’t, putting America’s future in doubt in places like Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, at least in the summer,” Cole said.
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