Extreme heat poses danger to athletes at Paris Olympics

Forecasts predict the Paris Olympics could experience record-breaking heat, threatening athlete safety.

Ben Doherty reports for The Guardian.


In short:

  • A report, Rings of Fire: Heat Risks at the 2024 Paris Olympics, warns of extreme heat risks for athletes, highlighting the increased dangers since the Tokyo 2021 games.
  • Paris has warmed by 1.8°C since 1924, with more frequent and intense heatwaves, risking athletes' health and performance.
  • The International Olympic Committee acknowledges the growing threat of extreme heat, proposing measures to protect athletes.

Key quote:

"We now know the Paris Games have the potential to surpass [Tokyo’s heat record]."

— Emma Pocock, chief executive of FrontRunners

Why this matters:

Extreme heat poses severe health risks to athletes, from heat cramps to life-threatening heatstroke. As global temperatures rise, the sustainability of outdoor sports events is increasingly jeopardized.

A man putting his vote in a ballot box in the U.S.

Data centers are ‘front and center’ in Pennsylvania’s competitive congressional elections

But with bipartisan opposition growing, it’s still unclear how the issue will affect the midterm results.
Power and fuel generation in the Czech Republic

Losing ground in the climate fight

From Brazil to the North Sea, economic interests have been edging out climate priorities this week.
Beach umbrellas with yellow and white stripes against a blue sky

Heat killed ‘staggering’ 50,000 people in Europe’s cities this summer, scientists warn

People succumbed to heat at highest rates in Malta, Italy, and Hungary, with health issues, loneliness, and poverty exacerbating toll.

A view of a sidewalk in a neighborhood with trees lining the street

The hidden history of how Big Oil invented the American Dream

From the family car to the dream kitchen, fossil fuel companies sold a way of life that depended on their products. New evidence shows how they did it.
Two construction workers looking up at scaffolding on a new build

Oil and tech money back measure to limit California environmental law

Proposition 45 would ease development of a wide range of projects, including some fossil-fuel facilities and possibly AI data centers.
A view of a bamboo forest

The case for low-carbon bamboo fuel starts at $2.75 a gallon

The fastest-growing plant on Earth can be turned into biocrude with almost no waste. A new study finds it emits 26 times less carbon than petroleum diesel.
A view of dark storm clouds with blue skies in the background

In Honduras, hard hit by drought, authorities hope to make it rain using contentious tactic

Global warming is making the El Niño weather pattern stronger, and that’s prolonging a devastating drought across a region of Central America known as the Dry Corridor.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.