The nature of our collective response to the climate crisis suggests what’s needed are psychologists as well as scientists
The temperatures in New York hit a relatively modest high of 35.5C (96F) this week, as everyone looked across the Atlantic towards Britain. For Americans, almost 90% of whom have some form of air conditioning, heatwave Britain appears a mystifying place, where the trains stop running and the runways melt. In the US, the idea of schools shutting for the hot weather equivalent of a snow day is absurd. On the east coast, in a normal year the biggest threat during extreme heat is from blackouts, as everyone cranks up their AC. In New York, the first thing you do when temperatures drift up towards 40C is check the batteries in your torch.
