"More Than 30 Global Cities Form Coalition To Tackle Extreme Heat" Article Reflection No. 160 (11/8/2025)

Article: “More Than 30 Global Cities Form Coalition To Tackle Extreme Heat”

Reflection: 

The article “More Than 30 Global Cities Form Coalition To Tackle Extreme Heat” by journalist Jamie Hailstone spotlights a coalition across over thirty cities worldwide that aims to mitigate the negative consequences of extreme heat exposure. The coalition plans to apply science in their decision-making and plans goals such as establishing codes mandating safe temperatures for indoor conditions. As the article states, there has been a 23% rise in mortality from heat exposure; furthermore, the article also discusses the economic losses from the exacerbating heat conditions: money lost amounts to approximately $44 billion each year for 12 cities. 

The statistics about the economic loss—approximately $44 billion across 12 cities—surprises me. $44 billion. And that’s only the economic loss related to heat exposure. I feel like many arguments against measures that combat climate change tend to be rooted in economics, and reading about the substantial economic loss from heat-related reasons makes me feel more confused as to how combatting climate change is not economically beneficial—because it does seem to help the economy. Maybe it’s rooted in this idea of maximizing profit?