Mark Wolfe argues that extreme heat is becoming a test of who can afford protection, with access to air conditioning and reliable electricity increasingly determining who stays safe. He says this matters because heat is already deadly and climate change is sharpening inequality both within richer countries, where many struggle with energy bills, and across the global south, where weak infrastructure and poverty leave far more people exposed. His central point is that adaptation is no longer just about comfort but about survival, and that unequal access to cooling could become a major global climate divide.

The article says extreme heat kills about 2,000 people a year in the US, while Europe’s June heat dome caused more than 1,300 deaths in under two weeks. Wolfe contrasts the US and Europe, where support with electricity costs can help because cooling systems broadly exist, with countries such as India, where officials may know the needed measures but lack funding to expand grids, improve housing, strengthen health planning and widen access to efficient cooling. He cites warnings from The Lancet and the UN that heat deaths are likely to rise fastest in south Asia and Africa, and argues wealthy countries should help finance cleaner, more reliable energy systems rather than simply sending more air conditioners.