| Hi there, it's Helen Chandler-Wilde, a Bloomberg UK journalist and editor on the Readout. Hope you enjoy today's newsletter. For some, it's been the perfect summer. For others – quite the opposite. While the world is set to have the warmest year ever in 2024, things have been different in the UK, where we've haven't had much sun (even for us). Yet the effects of the changing climate are still all around us, as described in two excellent pieces published on Bloomberg today. In the first, a team of environment reporters from around the world looked at the ways that extreme heat is already reshaping daily life in several countries. There are extreme examples, like teachers in the US having to wear vests with ice packs for pick up time, lest they overheat from even a short time in the sun. Some cities have opened up "cooling centers" where people can spend a few hours on hot days to sit under the aircon and cool down. And changes are happening in the UK, too, albeit in slightly less acute ways – like at the National Trust, which has "introduced new working hours to accommodate higher temperatures." Another piece to look at the issue was from Bloomberg Opinion's Lara Williams, who warned that a changing climate means more ticks – and more tick-borne disease. There is Lyme to contend with, as well as tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), which causes flu-like symptoms. Lara writes about how warmer weather leads not just to more ticks, but bigger and all-round nastier ones too. (And please don't think this is just an issue in Scotland: I know from first-hand experience a few weeks ago that they are as far south as the South Downs, too.)  A commuter uses a fan on the New York subway in their boiling June Photographer: Adam Gray/Bloomberg Green policy will be one of the chunky briefs for the government to crack into after the summer. Labour might have massively watered down their commitments to environmental spending before the election campaign (including the row over slashing their commitment to £28 billion on green policies) but there is still a lot promised – including a £13.2 billion plan for energy efficiency upgrades in homes. Some ambitious green policies might now be easier to pass through parliament, given many of the Tories who were critical of net zero lost their seats in last month's election, while the Green Party had its best-ever result, winning four MPs and 7% of votes. However, they must also contend with Reform who are entirely opposed to net zero targets — and who now have four MPs after winning 14% of the vote. But beyond policies to reduce the UK's contribution to climate change, Keir Starmer must also work to adapt the country to more heat. A government climate change risk assessment published in 2022 found that these simultaneous goals are key: "As we redouble our efforts to achieve net zero, we must also continue to raise ambitions on adaptation to ensure the UK is resilient to the challenges of a warming world." Among the risks found ranged from climate-related failure of the power systems to food supply issues to risk to human life. Yes, this summer might be a little chilly – but next summer might not be. Want this in your inbox each weekday? You can sign up here. | 
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