“This is the coolest summer for the rest of our lives” is a saying you may have been hearing recently, and it is not an exaggeration. The summer of 2026 is the hottest recorded summer in the U.S. and studies are suggesting that the worst is yet to come. South Carolina’s average daily peak estimated 104.6°F, with the hottest day hitting 116.5°F. This weather is not normal; it is a warning.Â
Studies are suggesting that summers will become threatening in the next 30 years. According to The State, “by the middle of this century, the number of sweltering days in the Palmetto State is forecast to increase by more than 350 percent,” and the U.S. is expected to continue warming faster than other parts of the world, as our temperatures have already increased by 60% since 1970.
Our current course will bring an onslaught of even longer and hotter heatwaves, alongside extreme health risks, droughts, wildfires, food shortages, and rising sea levels due to the melting of glaciers. These effects are not a distant issue; for some, it’s already on their doorstep. Places in Charleston are already suggested to become inhabitable within the approaching decades as rising sea levels and storms increase the risk of floods.Â
Man-made fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) account for approximately 68% of all global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United Nations. These emissions trap heat in the Earth, which is responsible for the fast rise in warming and climate change.
Transportation (cars, planes, ships, trucks), electricity production, and industries like factories are the primary human contributions to global emissions. In 2025, the U.S. was ranked as the second largest contributor to greenhouse emissions. Since then, the Trump Administration has lifted rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and revoked the EPA finding that greenhouse gases threaten public health, stripping restrictions on motor vehicles and facilities.Â
“This action will only lead to more climate pollution, and that will lead to higher costs and real harms for American families.”
The president of the Environmental Defense Fund, Fred Krupp
Researching and writing this topic has been overwhelming and daunting. My biggest struggle as a journalist was choosing which studies expressed this urgent matter the strongest, as all research seemingly points to a bleak direction: South Carolina and the world itself is entering into a climate crisis. This public issue requires public action— your action.
Joining local politics and influencing your government determines how our cities are designed and ran. Pro-climate representatives pave the road to change and many local elections are determined by just a couple hundred votes. Your voice is louder than you realize, and more people are watching than you think. Be the change you want to see in this world, and get involved before it is too late.
See my article, “THINK NATIONALLY, ACT LOCALLY: 10 EASY WAYS TO IMPACT LOCAL POLITICS.”