Coolcations had another big summer. Here are the places travelers went

Coolcations had another big summer. Here are the places travelers went

Extreme temperatures are driving travelers to seek cooler destinations. And there’s a term for the trend: “coolcations.” Heat waves — which are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — are affecting where people are choosing to vacation, especially during the hot summer months. “Often, when we think of vacation, … Read more

Heat deaths of people without air conditioning, often in mobile homes, underscore energy inequity

Heat deaths of people without air conditioning, often in mobile homes, underscore energy inequity

PHOENIX — Mexican farm worker Avelino Vazquez Navarro didn’t have air conditioning in the motor home where he died last month in Washington state as temperatures surged into the triple digits. For the last dozen years, the 61-year-old spent much of the year working near Pasco, Washington, sending money to his wife and daughters in … Read more

Why U.S. citrus is facing a shortage crisis

Why U.S. citrus is facing a shortage crisis

U.S. orange production has plummeted as the industry faces volatile threats from extreme weather events, an incurable disease and economic pressures. Citrus growers are losing millions of dollars every year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.  At the same time, orange juice futures have hit record highs. “Citrus production in the United States … Read more

Record breaking summer heat waves prompt higher home cooling costs

Record breaking summer heat waves prompt higher home cooling costs

Visitors walk during a long-duration heat wave impacting much of California on July 9 in Death Valley National Park, California.  Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images Amid surging summer heat, the earth reached a new hottest day on record on July 22. That day, the global average temperature was almost 63 degrees … Read more

Booties. Indoor dog parks. And following the vet’s orders. How to keep pets cool this summer

Booties. Indoor dog parks. And following the vet’s orders. How to keep pets cool this summer

PHOENIX — As much of the world swelters, it’s not just people who need help with the dog days of summer. Pet owners have to consider how to both shield and cool down furry family members as intense — at times deadly — heat waves become more common. “It’s really important to remember that if … Read more

India is likely undercounting heat deaths, affecting its response to increasingly harsh heat waves

India is likely undercounting heat deaths, affecting its response to increasingly harsh heat waves

BENGALURU, India — Months of scorching temperatures sometimes over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in parts of India this year — its worst heat wave in over a decade — left hundreds dead or ill. But the official number of deaths listed in government reports barely scratches the surface of the true toll and that’s … Read more

Sizzling sidewalks, unshaded playgrounds pose risk for surface burns over searing Southwest summer

Sizzling sidewalks, unshaded playgrounds pose risk for surface burns over searing Southwest summer

PHOENIX — Ron Falk lost his right leg, had extensive skin grafting on the left one and is still recovering a year after collapsing on the searing asphalt outside a Phoenix convenience store where he stopped for a cold soda during a heat wave. Now using a wheelchair, the 62-year-old lost his job and his … Read more

Biden administration proposes rule for workplaces to address excessive heat

Biden administration proposes rule for workplaces to address excessive heat

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration proposed a new rule Tuesday to address excessive heat in the workplace, as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories due to blistering temperatures. If finalized, the measure would protect an estimated 36 million U.S. workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job … Read more

For India’s garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat

For India’s garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat

JAMMU, India — The putrid smell of burning garbage wafts for miles from the landfill on the outskirts of Jammu in a potentially toxic miasma fed by the plastics, industrial, medical and other waste generated by a city of some 740,000 people. But a handful of waste pickers ignore both the fumes and suffocating heat … Read more

Doctors treat thousands of heatstroke victims in southern Pakistan as temperatures soar

Doctors treat thousands of heatstroke victims in southern Pakistan as temperatures soar

KARACHI, Pakistan — A days-long intense heat wave has disrupted normal life in Pakistan, especially in its largest city, Karachi, where doctors treated thousands of victims of heatstroke at various hospitals, health officials said Tuesday. Several people fell unconscious in the city and some of them later died, local media said. Temperatures soared as high … Read more