We have all learned about global warming and what are some things that affect it as kids. However, being aware of the causes has not stopped the progression of said calamity. While we may have read the effects of it on news like the polar ice caps melting, animals suffering as well as how it has affected the flora, the direct impact had not hit us, until now. A new study suggests that human-caused climate change was directly responsible for the deaths of around 1,500 people during last week's intense heat wave in Europe. Researchers found that these people would not have died if not for the extra heat caused by the burning of fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas over the past century. This study is unique because it directly links climate change to specific fatalities, moving beyond just its role in extreme weather events. Human Cost of Extra Heat Scientists calculated that roughly 2,300 people probably died from the heat across 12 European cities during the recent period of high temperatures. A significant finding was that nearly two-thirds of these deaths were due to the additional warmth climate change added to the already hot summer weather. Experts highlight that heat waves are often "silent killers" because doctors and hospitals typically don't list heat as the main cause of death, making their true impact hard to grasp. Of the deaths linked to climate change, over 1,100 were individuals aged 75 or older, showing the particular vulnerability of the elderly. Climate Change Made the Heat Wave Worse Researchers explained that there has been a significant rise in heat. This crucial increase meant that certain groups of people were put into a truly dangerous situation. Researchers looked at a period in late June and early July across major cities including London, Paris, and Rome. They discovered that, for most cities, the extra warmth from greenhouse gases added 2 to 4 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) to what would have been a more natural heat wave. London experienced the largest increase, with nearly 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) of added heat. This extra heat, caused by climate change, led to the most additional deaths in Milan, Barcelona, and Paris. Previous Instances Of Climate Change And Illnesses The US Enviromental Protection Agency explains that changes in our climate can directly impact the quality of the air we breathe, both inside our homes and outdoors. Warmer temperatures and shifting weather patterns can make air pollution worse, leading to more asthma attacks and other serious health problems affecting our lungs and hearts. The detailed how warmer temperatures caused by climate change will lead to more days with dangerous levels of ground-level ozone. This harmful pollutant is a key ingredient in smog. When people breathe in more ground-level ozone, they face a higher risk of dying sooner or needing hospital care for breathing problems. Ground-level ozone can actually harm lung tissue, reduce how well your lungs work, and cause inflammation in your airways. These are just a few aspects of climate change and how it has a direct impact on your health. Scientists Connected Climate Change to Deaths This recent study, which is an extension of ongoing research by international scientists, uses established methods to find global warming's fingerprint in extreme weather. They combine this with long-standing public health research that looks at death trends. To make the connection, researchers compared the actual temperatures recorded last week with what computer models predict would have happened in a world without heat-trapping gases from fossil fuels. Then, health experts used existing formulas to estimate how many deaths would normally be expected in each city without those extra degrees of warmth, taking into account factors like location, population, and other health variables like chronic diseases. They effectively isolated the impact of temperature. Previous studies have linked excess heat deaths to human-caused climate change generally, but this one goes a step further by connecting it to specific recent deaths. An earlier 2023 study estimated that for every degree Celsius rise in temperature in Europe, there are an extra 18,547 summer heat deaths. What Can We Do To Reduce The Effects of Climate Change? The United Nations Climate Action explains that tackling climate change offers huge health benefits. By phasing out fossil fuels and investing in sustainable transport, food, and energy, we can significantly improve public health. This means cleaner air, healthier diets, and more physical activity. The health gains from these changes are estimated to be about double the cost of global climate policies, potentially saving a million lives annually worldwide by 2050 just by reducing air pollution.