A lack of action on climate change is putting people's lives at risk | Mark Monighan

In the 2014 Melbourne heatwave, 167 people died. Emergency departments can’t deal with this problem alone

A new study warning Australia’s major cities are likely to reach highs of 50C by 2040 – even if the world meets its target of limiting warming to 2C above pre-industrial levels – is yet more evidence that without immediate and urgent action we are facing a looming public health crisis during heatwaves and other extreme weather events.

The study follows recent unseasonable heat across New South Wales, with Sydney experiencing its hottest ever September day, as well as the doubling of record-breaking summer temperatures in Australia in the past 50 years. This new normal has hospital health professionals particularly bracing for the coming summer.

Related: Australian cities to have 50C summer days by 2040, study says

Are we going to take the health of our population and our ecosystem seriously ...?

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