What if Arctic sea ice melts? All of it… during the summer! According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), over the past three decades the oldest, thickest ice (13-20 feet thick) has declined by a stunning 95 percent and 70 percent of Arctic sea ice is now thin “seasonal ice” that quickly melts in the Arctic summer.

The world continues to experience a relentless increase in average and extreme temperatures every year - much beyond what scientists and scientific models projected or expected. We now have to use previously unfamiliar terms to describe today’s new world - atmospheric rivers, sunny day flooding, rain bombs, derechos, flash droughts and many more. No place, no time of year and no person is immune from the severe direct and indirect impacts of a scorching planet.

Stressing the need for awareness, Global Chief Heat Officer Eleni Myrivili leads the response to extreme heat that threatens lives and livelihoods worldwide. She outlines ideal countermeasures.