Yorba Linda high school students got heated up for the first day of school, but students weren’t the only ones that got caught under the sun. Beginning on August 27, a massive heat wave swept through much of Southern California, which included Yorba Linda. Temperatures stayed at a constant three digit number until reaching an all time high of 106 degrees Fahrenheit before gradually becoming cooler. Not only was the temperature hot, but it was also unbearably humid. Faced with temperature and humidity, many of Yorba Linda High School mustangs escaped to beaches, pools, mountains, etc.. Stephanie Weitzman (9), for an example, acknowledged that “it was really hot, but [she] liked it cause [she] could go swimming.” Although we are able to escape the heat through beaches, pools, or mountains, many families, all around the world,  are in great danger of hyperthermia, and other health issues. Not to mention, the wild animals and plants that are harmed by heat waves.

In the city of Phalodi, India, temperatures rose to 51 degree Celsius – around 123 degrees Fahrenheit – in 2016, killing thousands of individuals. In addition, 10,000 people died in Moscow, during 2010, due to extreme heat exposure. Not to mention, in 1995, 700 people died in Chicago because of a 5 day humid heat wave. These type of stories keep happening throughout the world, yet many people are refusing to take action. According to the article, “A Third of the World Now Faces Deadly Heatwaves as a result of Climate Change” by Oliver Milman, the author starts his argument with a powerful argument: “nearly a third of the world’s population is now exposed to climatic conditions that produce deadly heatwaves, as the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere makes it “almost inevitable” that vast areas of the planet will face rising fatalities from high temperatures” (www.theguardian.com).

As stated above, The main cause of heat waves is global warming. Global warming, in the form of Greenhouse gases, captures heat and prevents them from escaping into outer space. Of these Greenhouse gases, Carbon Dioxide is the most abundant and critical to the environment. To put into context, “yearly emissions have gone up by about 6 billion metric tons of “carbon dioxide equivalent” worldwide, more than a 20 percent increase” (www.nationalgeographic.com).  The substantial increase of  6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide proves that global warming is not a minor problem to be ignored. All in all, to reduce the amount of heat waves, earthquakes, and other natural disasters, society should take care of our environment.