Amid a record-setting summer in which devastating heat waves led to the loss of hundreds of lives throughout the United States, the Biden Administration announced Monday that it is taking immediate action to protect workers and communities from extreme heat by launching a multi-pronged, interagency initiative. Addressing and combating the devastating impact of the global climate crisis has been one of the focal points of the Biden Administration since Inauguration Day. A fact sheet released by the White House Monday notes that the average temperature for the lower 48 states this summer was 74.0°F, which is 2.6°F above average, tying it for the warmest summer on record. A devastating heat wave in the Pacific Northwest in June, which set all-time temperature records, killed at least 112 people in Washington, according to the state’s Department of Health. The Louisiana Health Department said last week that 12 of the 28 deaths attributed to Hurricane Ida in Louisiana were caused by excessive heat. July 2021 was the hottest month ever recorded on planet Earth, according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Deadly Hot Summer Prompts White House Push To Protect Americans From Extreme Heat | Forbes