Battling record-high heat, most Americans shrug off global warming

The average nighttime temperatures in the country have soared to their highest level in recorded history. Yet, a majority of Americans—53%—don’t believe global warming would harm them.

Consider this: The past month was the third hottest July in the US, taking into account only daytime temperatures. Nighttime heat, however, topped all records—not just for July, but for any month on official record since 1880.

The average low temperature—nighttime—in July 2022 was 63.57 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The previous record holder was July 2012, when the average minimum temperature touched 63.55 degrees.

Getting hot in here
Warmer nights are one of the strongest indicators of human-induced climate change, says non-profit Climate Central. The trend reflects a build-up of greenhouse gasses coupled with urbanization.

And summer nighttime temperatures have soared twice as fast as daytime maximums. Nights are 2.5 degrees warmer since 1970, Climate Central says.

What global warming?   
The sad bit: Most Americans don’t care about the climate crisis, says Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel of Kentucky, which is still struggling to recover from the recent freak floods that deluged the southeastern state.

He’s right. Only 47% of Americans believe that global warming could harm them personally, per data from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

Environment a ‘3% issue’
“The American people are clear about their priorities. Environmental regulation is a 3% issue,” McConnel says of the ambitious Inflation Reduction Act, which proposes to spend $369 billion to fight climate change.

“Americans want solutions for inflation, crime, and the border,” he says, suggesting that spending on the climate crisis is a waste of taxpayer funds.