The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis warned yesterday that extreme heat is quietly driving up the cost of living for Bahamian families, saying climate change is already forcing households to spend more on electricity, water, ice, fans and transportation.

Speaking at the 4th Annual Bahamas Youth Climate Conference at the University of The Bahamas, Mr Davis said blistering heat is no longer a distant threat, but a worsening burden on homes, public services and national infrastructure.

Scores of students attended the conference, which focused on how young people can help protect the environment for future generations.

Mr Davis said unprecedented heatwaves across Europe have triggered public health emergencies, disrupted schools and transport systems, strained electricity grids and worsened fires and drought.

He noted that preliminary estimates linked roughly a thousand excess deaths each in Spain and France to the extreme heat.

Across the American Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, he said, feels-like temperatures have reached between 100 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Bahamas has also endured periods of excessive heat. Last month, the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Department of Meteorology issued a heat health bulletin warning that heat index values between 102 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit were expected in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Bimini, the Berry Islands, Andros and Eleuthera.

Mr Davis said Bahamas Power and Light pointed to the strain of early heat, along with equipment faults, as a factor in outages experienced in early June.

“For our families, that heat is more than discomfort – it is an added cost of living,” he said. “More electricity, more water and ice, more fans running, more reliance on transportation rather than walking. Extreme heat is quietly taxing every household in this country. The existential threat of climate change worsens each day we do not take sufficient action.”

Mr Davis said world leaders have failed to do enough to confront the climate crisis, but told students their involvement gives him hope.

“And while the leaders of global superpowers consistently fail to do what it takes to sufficiently address the dangers posed by climate change, I find hope and strength to carry on this fight each time I see young people like you, ready and willing to put in the work and make a difference in whatever way you can,” he said.

Mr Davis applauded students for their commitment to addressing climate change, saying climate activism is not limited to marching in the streets or delivering lofty speeches, but includes daily decisions to love and protect The Bahamas.