WH Climate Adviser McCarthy: ‘Extreme Heat’ Across the U.S. the ‘New Norm’ — ‘Get Used to the Fact that Climate Change Is Real’

On Thursday, White House national climate advisor Gina McCarthy addressed the recent wave of what she described as “extreme heat” seen across the United States.

According to McCarthy, the uptick in heat is the “new norm.” She went on to emphasize how viewers should “get used to the fact that climate change is real” and learn to adjust to it.

“I think what you’re seeing here is really what is essentially a new norm,” McCarthy told CNN “New Day” host John Berman. “We have to get used to the fact that climate change is real, and I think people everywhere now acknowledge that because we can see it, but we are facing extreme heat. And with that comes extreme drought. We have 46% of the United States population now living in areas that have drought conditions. We have to deal with these issues, which is why the president brought together so many of the governors out of the western states to actually talk about thinks wildfires. These are all linked issues to our changing climate. But it doesn’t mean we have to stick our heads in the ground. It means we have to be prepared. Heat can be the biggest killer of any impact related to climate change. And we have to work together to reconcile the fact it is getting hotter.”

“We have to adjust to this as best we can, but frankly, we have to start thinking about how our future looks and how we shift to a clean energy economy,” she added.

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