Temperature records have been broken in January as multiple dangerous heatwaves crossed the country. Sweltering Cities warns that record-breaking temperatures are putting communities in danger with limited support on offer. Personal resilience is not enough to protect people from the nation's deadliest environmental disaster.
On Extreme Heat Awareness Day (February 4), a national day of action led by Sweltering Cities and Australian Red Cross, alongside the ACTU, AMA, and ALGA. Leaders will meet with parliamentarians to demand a proactive national policy to address the accelerating heat crisis. Dozens of events and participating organisations will be engaging hundreds of thousands of people in the community from Cairns to Hobart.
Extreme heat causes more deaths in Australia than bushfires, cyclones, and floods combined. The impact on our suburbs has reached a critical level as people are forced to sleep in cars to find cooling, while kids are unable to concentrate in hot classrooms, and millions second guessing whether they can afford to keep cool.
Emma Bacon, Executive Director of Sweltering Cities, said:
"Our cities are sweltering. The urban heat island effect is making our suburbs unsafe, trapping heat in our streets and homes long after the sun goes down. This isn't just 'another hot summer'; it's a public health emergency that disproportionately affects those in hot homes, insecure workers, and our most vulnerable neighbours.
"Pollution from coal and gas is driving these longer, more dangerous heatwaves and more heat deaths. We are calling on the Government to safeguard the health of present and future generations by urgently reducing the fossil fuel pollution making these heatwaves more frequent and severe. We need leadership that moves beyond emergency response to proactive solutions that cool our communities.
"Safe homes, cool suburbs, support for the people most at risk and a commitment to preventing future warming will save thousands of lives in the decades to come."
Sweltering Cities is hosting the nation's largest Extreme Heat Awareness Day event on the 5th of February (the day after) in Parramatta. Hot City, Cool People will feature author Winnie Dunn, leading medical voices, sports stars and more speaking about the urgent need for action on heat.
