Just five days into summer, much of the United States is gripped by a record-breaking heat dome. Pavement is buckling in Wisconsin. Trains in the Northeast have had to slow or stop to avoid heat-induced “sun kinks” in the rails. Emergency rooms are expected to fill with patients with heat-related illness across the Midwest. Power grids are straining and the Washington Monument is closed to visitors.
These events aren’t outliers; they are the signs of a new era of more frequent and intense heat waves that will test infrastructure, public health systems and communities.
For my research on heat, I meet people from across the political spectrum who are living through these extreme heat episodes and stressing over escalating electric bills, dying livestock and dangerous working conditions. I have found that there is no need to litigate the science of climate change in these conversations. Rather, if our leaders focus on the disruptions and damage caused by heat, they can open the door to broader, more effective bipartisan solutions.
Unlike hurricanes or floods, extreme heat doesn’t leave behind eye-catching wreckage. But its toll is no less profound. Exposure to heat in the workplace drags down labor productivity, suppresses local gross domestic product and hits rural economies hardest — especially those heavily dependent on manufacturing or agriculture. Supply chain disruptions and power outages that destroy inventories also drive up costs for producers and consumers, from food spoilage in grocery stores and warehouses to heat-damaged electronics and pharmaceuticals rendered unusable.
The risks go beyond the economy and public health. Extreme heat is also emerging as a national security concern. It threatens the physical readiness of soldiers, weakens military installation infrastructure and complicates logistics and supply chains critical to defense operations. The Department of Defense has begun incorporating heat-related stressors into its strategic planning because of the compounding effects on personnel, equipment and mission reliability, especially in rural and remote regions. Like other sectors, the military isn’t waiting for political consensus on climate change. It’s adapting to the effects that are already here.
As the costs from extreme heat mount, there is growing interest from industries and lawmakers to come up with new solutions. Congress recently formed a bipartisan Extreme Heat Caucus — proof that the issue is gaining recognition across the aisle. The focus is on responding to worker injuries, economic losses and public safety risks. That’s a promising sign that heat can unite lawmakers on urgently needed nonpartisan solutions.
Imagine if our approach to heat mirrored how we prepare for hurricanes — anticipating its damage, issuing targeted alerts and deploying protective infrastructure, such as cooling centers, shaded transit stops and reflective roofing materials. A new approach should also include better emergency response systems that prioritize vulnerable populations.
While the National Weather Service does issue heat alerts, they are often based on statistical thresholds (like the 95th or 98th percentile of past regional heat waves) and generally do not incorporate health outcomes. Many of the most serious health effects occur well below those statistical thresholds. As a result, alerts may come too late or not at all. More nonpartisan support for dealing with increasingly brutal summers could also mean updated alerts, as well as better workplace protections, a modernized electric grid to avoid outages and the development of smarter technologies.
Business leaders are beginning to recognize the need to address extreme heat. GE Appliances recently installed sensor-driven ventilation systems to keep factory floors cooler and less humid. The result was increased employee comfort, greatly improved retention of workers and safer working conditions.
In the construction industry, some firms are giving employees devices that detect early signs of heat stress, helping field supervisors respond before a medical emergency occurs. Delta Air Lines is working with the Korey Stringer Institute, a research center focused on heat and health, to develop policies to protect their ground crews, who can be exposed to very high temperatures from heat radiating off the tarmac and jet engines. United Parcel Service recently rolled out cooling hats, towels and sleeves along with water for its delivery workers and added fans and exhaust heat shields to vehicles as part of a new heat-safety agreement with the Teamsters.
The insurance industry is also beginning to rethink how it responds to the rising risks of extreme heat. One emerging tool is parametric insurance, a policy that issues automatic payouts when specific temperature thresholds are met, rather than requiring damage assessments or lengthy claims processes. This kind of approach isn’t about replacing income; it’s about helping businesses, farms and independent workers absorb shocks and keep operating.
The solutions are out there — we just need to scale them. Congress should support bipartisan efforts like the new Extreme Heat Caucus. Businesses should treat heat not as a seasonal inconvenience, but a year-round operational risk. And cities, states and the federal government must invest in extreme heat preparedness, not just recovery.
Extreme heat is not a niche environmental issue. It determines whether construction crews can safely finish a job, whether school buildings without adequate air-conditioning can stay open and whether crops make it to market or wither in the field. If we get serious about heat, we don’t just weather the summer — we will protect workers, safeguard infrastructure and strengthen the systems that communities rely upon every day, building a more resilient economy for everyone.
Ashley Ward is the director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University.
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