US President Joe Biden has made climate change one of his administration’s priorities. With the recent heatwave in parts of the US and even in Canada, Biden says that the climate crisis is responsible for the spike in temperatures.
Biden echoed scientists in pinning climate change as the sole cause of the extreme heatwave that is occurring in the Western part of the US and in Canada. The heatwave has led to several deaths, as well as bucked roads, wildfires, and blackouts in the region. On the US west coast, Portland, Oregon as well as Seattle, Washington have registered days of heat.
Local authorities are looking into a dozen deaths that occurred in Oregon and Washington that could be related to the extreme weather. In his comments, Biden also took a swipe at those that deny the existence of the issue of climate change.
“Anybody ever believe you’d turn on the news and see it’s 116 degrees in Portland Oregon? 116 degrees,” said Biden. “But don’t worry — there is no global warming because it’s just a figment of our imaginations.”
The US National Weather Service said that the peak temperature in the region was 42.2 degrees Celsius Tuesday in Spokane, Washington. Around 9,300 homes experienced blackouts, and the state’s local utility said that planned blackouts would be needed Tuesday afternoon for a city with a population of over 200,000 people. The high temperatures also increased the risks of wildfires as officials in the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office in northern California already issued evacuation orders for those living in the Juniper Valley and Shastina areas.
Meanwhile, Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden will be visiting families, first responders, and victims in Surfside, Florida, following the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers condominium last week. In a Wednesday press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that every aspect of their upcoming trip will be coordinated with officials in the area, as there are still search and rescue efforts ongoing.
The Bidens will be thanking the first responders and volunteers that are participating in the search and rescue efforts in their visit.