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Thought yesterday’s 95-degree day in Philly felt horrible? That could be the norm by the year 2100.
That’s according to a new report by Climate Change and the World Meteorological Organization, which found that without making emission cuts, summer highs in Philadelphia could be more like those in Juarez, Mexico by 2100.
Currently, the summer high in Philadelphia is about 83.48 degrees Farenheit. In Juarez, it’s 93.92 degrees.
But there’s a bit of a silver lining: Although temperatures are expected to rise whether or not Philly does anything to combat it, even with moderate emission cuts, Philly summer highs could rise only to 89.96 degrees. That’s more on par with Oranjestad, Aruba.
Overall, average land temperature is expected to rise by 8.6 degrees by 2100. But cities are expected to have it worse, according to the report. That’s due to the heat island effect, which can often make urban areas feel up to 14 degrees hotter than the ‘burbs.
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Hotter summers is one of the reasons why Philly announced in June that it would continue to honor the Paris Climate Accord after the White House announced it would pull out. At the time, Christine Knapp, director of sustainability for the City of Philadelphia, said, “Philadelphia is already dealing with the consequences of climate change, such as hotter summers and heavier rain storms.”
Weeks after, Mayor Jim Kenney signed on as the 100th city mayor to the Mayors for 100% Clean Energy effort spearheaded by the Sierra Club. This commitment means that Philly plans to transition to 100 percent clean energy.
- This is how climate change will shift the world’s cities [Climate Central]
- Mayor Kenney says Philly will honor Paris climate accord after U.S. pulls out [Curbed Philly]
- Philly commits to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 [Curbed Philly]
- 292 mayors adopt Paris climate accord after U.S. pulls out (updated) [Curbed]
- Is that scary ‘New York Magazine’ climate change story exactly what we need? [Curbed]