Extreme heat and drought is also bad news for another essential: food. In India, for example, unusually hot weather in May has caused the nation to cut its wheat production forecast by 6 million metric tons. There is a solution Amanda Little says we should embrace. As the world warms, genetically modified crops — such as a new strain of drought-resistant wheat — are going to be essential to sustainable agriculture’s future.
If you’re enjoying the sunshine this weekend, remember to take the heat seriously. Drink plenty of water, seek shade, wear sunscreen. Some climate activists have suggested that we name our heat waves in a nudge to get people to take proper precautions. Would it work? Stephen Carter is skeptical. We don’t, for example, know much about what naming hurricanes does practically. What we do know is a little concerning: A 2014 paper found that hurricanes with “feminine” names result in greater damage than those with “masculine” names. Why? The authors suggest that those in the storm’s path take fewer precautions because they expect feminine-named storms to be less severe.
