In times of Extreme Heat and Extreme Climate Change: Care and Challenges.
- Projeto Tarde Feliz
- Feb 21, 2025
- 3 min read
More than 6 million Brazilians faced at least 150 days of extreme heat in 2024 – a year marked as the hottest in the history of the Earth (Source: G1 ) . And the forecast for 2025 does not seem to be different, temperatures and thermal sensations that exceed 40°C have become routine in several regions of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to new precautions for this new reality.
What Care Should Be Taken with the Health of Children and Adolescents in Situations of Extreme Heat?
According to pediatrician Luiz Renato Valério, from Pequeno Príncipe Hospital, the human body can adapt to changes in temperature, but when these variations are abrupt, the body may have difficulty adjusting. Therefore, to help parents and guardians, we have listed the main precautions to take with little ones on days of extreme heat:
Hydration: The Key to Prevention
The most important recommendation is to ensure adequate hydration and avoid sun exposure between 10am and 3:30pm, critical times. During these periods, the heat is more intense and the risk of dehydration increases.
Well-ventilated environments to combat heat
It is essential to keep rooms well ventilated, opening doors and windows to avoid a stuffy feeling, which can contribute to dehydration. Planning rest periods is also important, as heat can cause fatigue and irritability.
Sun Protection and Specific Care for Children Under 1 Year Old
Among the precautions, direct exposure to the sun should be avoided, especially for children under 1 year old, and sunscreen with SPF 50 should be used. More frequent baths help to cool down and remove sweat, and cotton clothing should be preferred to ensure children's comfort.
Intense Heat and Climate Change
While these guidelines help protect children and adolescents, they don’t solve the problem of excessive heat as a whole. How can we actually change extreme heat?
The Impact of Climate Change on the Planet
According to the European Union's Copernicus program, 2024 was the hottest year on record on the planet. High temperatures are a reflection of climate change, which has generated increasingly intense natural phenomena, such as storms, floods, droughts and dry spells. These extreme weather events are contributing to the increase in climate refugees, people who are forced to leave their homes due to natural disasters.
The Economic System and the Climate Crisis
The impact of climate change will not diminish by 2025, and this is due to the current economic model. The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights that climate change is caused primarily by human actions, but not by all individuals equally.
Global average temperatures in 2024 were approximately 1.6°C higher than those recorded in the pre-industrial period — before humans began burning fossil fuels on a large scale — according to Copernicus data.
Who is Responsible for the Climate Crisis?
Capitalists, who profit from the climate crisis, have been largely responsible for the intensification of global warming, while the most vulnerable populations, especially the poorest, are the ones who suffer the most from its effects. The capitalist system prioritizes profit over sustainability, blocking the efforts needed for efficient decarbonization.
The Need for Profound Change
It is therefore essential that society understands that the responsibilities for climate breakdown are not the same for everyone. Individual behavior cannot be the only solution, and it is necessary to rethink the economic structure that drives the destruction of ecosystems and global warming.
Proposals for a Sustainable Future
The failures of climate agreements and the inability of the capitalist system to resolve this crisis require profound change.
For Naomi Klein, the first step in combating climate change would be for countries in the Global North to acknowledge their historical responsibilities for current disasters and assume their responsibility for the future of the planet. This would mean that these countries that contributed to the climate crisis would lead efforts to reduce carbon emissions and establish support mechanisms for developing countries, preventing them from making the same mistakes and promoting the eradication of poverty.
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