In late June, an unprecedented, deadly heatwave shattered every record in the book in the US Pacific Northwest — in some places by over ten degrees. To better understand this climate catastrophe, this week we review “The Heat Wave That Hit the Pacific Northwest,” an episode of the New York Times’ podcast The Daily. In the episode, host Astead W. Herndon, political reporter for the Times and political analyst for CNN, holds an open conversation about the heatwave with guest Sergio Olmos, a journalist for Underscore. In the second half, Herndon also turns to Times climate change reporter Henry Fountain to highlight how anthropogenic global warming is responsible for this catastrophe.

The podcast gives a sobering glimpse into the devastation the heatwave caused, especially in an area unused to such high temperatures. In Oregon and Washington, the heatwave claimed at least 193 lives, the majority of whom were elderly, lived alone, and lacked air conditioning. But a deeper dive reveals long standing socioeconomic and racial elements that exacerbated the unequal impacts of this climate disaster. Herndon references Professor Vivek Shandas of Portland State University, who uncovered that during the heatwave, the wealthiest parts of Portland experienced temperatures in the high 90s, while the poorest areas suffered temperatures upwards of 121 degrees Fahrenheit. These neighborhoods are home to majority people of color, and have been historically excluded by home investment efforts that could have mitigated the heatwave’s impact. Olmos explains that these neighborhoods have less tree coverage and are covered with concrete that absorbs more of the sun’s radiation, intensifying the already-sweltering temperatures.

Throughout the episode, both the guests and Herndon emphasize the rarity of this heatwave. Like many prominent climate scientists, they were stunned by the severity of the heat and more generally, how quickly the negative effects of climate change are accelerating. Fountain admits that despite reporting on climate change for years, he often perceived it to be farther away than it actually is. This misconception is likely because positive feedback loops are accelerating climate impacts  faster than anyone could have guessed even a decade ago

Climate change played no small role in the heatwavet — in fact, Fountain says it would never have occurred without anthropogenic climate change. He highlights a study recently conducted by the World Weather Attribution,  which compared real-life data from this heatwave against computer-generated “data” from a hypothetical climate change-free world, with the goal of determining just how much of an effect climate change has on heatwaves. Their findings were astonishing: an extreme heat wave in the Pacific Northwest would be statistically impossible if not for anthropogenic climate change. Fountain makes clear that global warming is not only correlated with these extreme events — it is the catalyst for them.

Herndon describes our current reality as going “from one climate disaster to the next.” Considering June’s heatwaves, a wildfire season that’s already burned over a million acres of land, and deadly flooding in Germany and China just this week, his grim statement couldn’t be more accurate. They end the episode with a reality check: this is only the beginning of devastating climate disasters, unless we take drastic, rapid action. They guests also emphasize the climate justice dimension of these disasters: the poorest individuals, with the least political backing, will continue to experience the brunt of this climate catastrophe, be it the Global South, working class communities, communities of color, indigenous groups, or future generations. This unequal climate burden is not only unjust, but it will continue to worsen unless policymakers acknowledge and resolve the structural disadvantages causing this inequality.

But despite the urgency of the problem, Olmos, Herndon, and Fountain all worry that people will not begin to mobilize for climate action until they see tangible climate impacts in their own lives. How many more climate disasters will it take to motivate collective action? Unfortunately, as Fountain concludes: ​​ “what we thought would happen in the future is happening now.” We cannot wait until the next climate disaster to start acting — collective action must start now, too.

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