America is boiling—literally and figuratively. As heatwaves rage across the nation, the cost of inequality is growing along with the temperature. Elderly citizens, low-income families, and outdoor laborers suffer in silence while politicians resume their debates and electrical grids malfunction. Extreme heat is a public health crisis that exposes serious flaws in our institutions. And we often find that cooling facilities have the least amount of employees and the cost of cool air conditioning is high. Thus, being able to endure the summer heat is a privilege and the most vulnerable continue to suffer.
Extreme heat is jeopardizing vulnerable communities—those whose everyday existence is made more difficult due to the lack of resources and historical injustices. Climate-driven heatwaves disproportionately harm low-income families, older individuals, and outdoor workers. Access to cool temperatures is often influenced by neighborhood infrastructure or poverty in cities across America. Low-income families are predominantly vulnerable to this issue because they may not have the funds to afford high energy bills from cool air conditioning. And due to fundamental medical issues and a decreased performance in physical activity, older individuals are directly impacted as they are at risk of dying quicker since their state of health is already very weak.
Furthermore, growing electricity demand, particularly industries like artificial intelligence, only worsens America's public health particularly vulnerable groups. According to the article, Heatwave Poses Risks to US Power Grid by The Washington Post, "It is expected that AI server farms' power demand will increase to 12 percent by 2030". Thus, basic household needs, such as keeping houses cool during heatwaves, are being jeopardized as more energy is directed toward powering digital infrastructure. This, unfortunately, will raise the price for electricity bills—including air conditioning use. Rural neighborhoods, whose residents already face economic challenges from rising electricity bills and deteriorating housing infrastructure, are disproportionately affected by this energy imbalance.
Extreme heat measures are becoming more regular and intense due to the long-term rise in average temperatures triggered by climate change. In addition to raising the likelihood of heat-related illnesses, these warm temperatures generate air pollution, which, again, jeopardizes the health of the vulnerable. According to Climate Change and Health of Socially Vulnerable People, "socially vulnerable groups are often more sensitive to air pollutants because they have more exposures and higher rates of underlying medical conditions". People of color and many low-income groups reside in urban heat islands or close to industrial territories where the air quality is poor. Black communities, who already have higher asthma mortality rates, are more likely to experience asthma attacks, hospital visits, and early deaths due to extreme heat and poor air quality.
Fontana, California, the place I call home, is known for its extreme heat and significant truck traffic. Most of the population is Hispanic, and many of them are day laborers—working in the scorching sun. However, the trailer trucks and warehouses produce contaminated air. Thus, Fontana residents find it more difficult to breathe due to the hazardous toxins released into our city. And residents who have respiratory issues or heat-related ailments find it hard to seek proper medical attention as Fontana is limited healthcare facilities.