More than a third of heat deaths are tied to climate change, study says

More than a third of heat deaths are tied to climate change, study says

Sweeping new research found that heat-related deaths in warm seasons were boosted by climate change by an average of 37 percent.

More than a third of heat-related deaths in many parts of the world can be attributed to the extra warming associated with climate change, according to a new study that makes a case for taking strong action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to protect public health.

The sweeping new research, published on Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, was conducted by 70 researchers using data from major projects in the fields of epidemiology and climate modeling in 43 countries. It found that heat-related deaths in warm seasons were boosted by climate change by an average of 37 percent, in a range of a 20 percent increase to 76 percent.

By John Schwartz, The New York Times