As the planet prepares to face the consequences of human-induced climate change and the excessive heat it is causing in the summer, a lesser-known repercussion is emerging: its correlation with the increasing number of gun-related incidents in US cities. But how exactly are rising temperatures and gun violence related, and is it possible that addressing the effects of climate change in cities is the key to curbing this alarming trend? In late July 2022, the city was in the midst of a heatwave.
On Tuesday, July 19, a series of sweltering days began, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees and humidity exceeding 70% in some places. The air was thick and heavy, a heat that made you sweat within minutes and caused clothes to stick to the skin like a damp blanket. Sometimes, the air barely moved. That Wednesday, it was 95 degrees in Central Park. In Tremont and Brownsville, it was close to 100 and felt like 105 degrees