Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- habitable / ˈhæb ɪ tə bəl / (adj.) – suitable, appropriate, and safe for people to live in
Example:Many houses were no longer habitable because of the damage after the storm.
- landmass / ˈlændˌmæs / (n.) – a very large area of land
Example:The Amazon rainforest covers a huge landmass in South America.
- physiology / ˌfɪz iˈɒl ə dʒi / (n.) – the study of how living things function or work
Example:Understanding human environmental physiology can help scientists study how people adapt to different climates.
- prone / proʊn / (adj.) – likely to experience or suffer from something, usually a bad situation
Example:People with weaker immune systems are more prone to diseases caused by viruses.
- humidity / hjuˈmɪd ɪ ti / (n.) – the amount of water in the atmosphere
Example:When humidity is high, people often feel sticky and hot.
Article
Read the text below.
Large areas of the planet may become too hot to be habitable during extreme heat events.
Researchers say that even healthy young humans would struggle to maintain a safe body temperature if we hit 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels in a new study that examines a ‘worst-case’ scenario.
An international group of scientists has found that an area the size of the United States would become too hot during extreme heat events for even healthy young humans. And for older people who are more vulnerable to heat, the news is even worse.
“So, with just two degrees Celsius warming, what we showed that even for young, healthy adults, an area about the landmass of the U.S. would actually become uninhabitable from a heat stress point of view. But when we extend that to elderly individuals who have a lower thermoregulatory capacity to control their body temperature, that extended to over a third of the landmass with just two degrees Celsius of warming. So, this is some quite alarming data really,” explains Josh Foster, co-author of the study and a lecturer in human environmental physiology at King’s College London.
An estimated 260,000 people have died as a result of heat events since 2000, according to the researchers. But some parts of the world are more vulnerable than others.
“These types of issues aren’t necessarily centered on their own quite specific areas because there are some areas like Bangladesh and Pakistan that are much more vulnerable to high levels of humid heat. But then we also have to focus on drier climates, so the Sahara, some parts of Western Europe which are more prone to extreme levels of dry heating,” says Foster.
Between 1994-2023, only two percent of land reached a point where the combination of temperature and humidity was too high for adults under 60 to physically cope.
The figure rose to more than 20 percent of land for those over 60.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- Scientists warn that if temperatures keep rising, large areas could become too hot to be habitable. What do you think cities will look like if the world becomes hotter? How might people’s daily lives and routines change in such environments? Discuss.
- Do you think people will be able to adapt to the hotter temperatures in the future? Why do you say so? What new technologies might emerge to help people deal with extreme heat (ex. clothes that can keep someone cool)? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Scientists warn that even young, healthy people may struggle to maintain a safe body temperature if global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius. What are the best ways for individuals, families, and communities to protect themselves—especially older adults—from extreme heat? Discuss.
- Do you think governments should take stronger action to protect people from extreme heat? Does your country have any policies or programs to reduce heat-related problems? What heat safety programs would you like to see in your community or country (ex. air-conditioned centers, free drinking water)? Discuss.
