BLOOMBERG • July 30, 2024
On July 22, planet Earth achieved a terrifying milestone: Global temperatures reached their highest level in recorded history, breaking a record set just one day before. This year is expected to be the hottest in centuries. Heat waves are hotter, longer and more frequent than they were in the 1960s. Most of us understand that extreme heat is bad for our health, making our hearts, lungs, kidneys and other organs work much harder. But too often we overlook the toll heat takes on another vital organ: our brain. Extreme heat doesn’t just make us uncomfortable, it can make it harder to think clearly and be productive at work. It worsens our mental health, exacerbating common mood disorders like anxiety and depression as well as rarer conditions like schizophrenia and self-harming. ~ Lisa Jarvis