By: Olivia Juarez and Juan Roberto Madrid
Last Sunday, July 19, the World Cup Final was at MetLife Stadium–open sky, no air conditioning, late July in New Jersey. It was hot.
You've seen players put on a cold pack during hydration breaks. That’s because with heat and humidity, the body’s natural cooling system can stop working. FIFA requires las pausas de hidratación to protect athletes from the deadly consequences of extreme heat. Cooling breaks at the world’s most-watched sports event could save lives.
The hydration breaks were controversial. Exercise science experts say they went the wrong direction–away from physiological science and active cooling methods, toward revenue. Fans say they wreck the flow of play. Both critiques have merit, but underlying the controversy is an important point: extreme heat kills and FIFA is doing something about it.
The United States federal government has gone the opposite direction, leaving all who play outdoors vulnerable. It appointed a climate denier to head the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought have all but given the boot to the civil servants on public lands who save lives from extreme heat and prevent heat stroke. Among those let go under the leadership of these appointed officials are firefighter death investigators and disaster responders. A leaked Interior memo instructs national parks not to confirm deaths or details about serious injuries. Since the end of 2024, Colorado has 27% fewer dispatchers on the job to deploy personnel and equipment for emergency response efforts in outdoor recreation areas. The White House's FY2027 budget would eliminate 3,000 more National Park Service professionals on top of the more than 25% of permanent staff already pushed out–this includes staff that respond to and prevent medical emergencies.
The difference between White House and FIFA leadership: FIFA recognizes that heat-related illnesses and deaths are real concerns. Let’s just say that el pueblo salva al pueblo. The people save the people. So here’s what you need to know to protect yourself and others.
Humidity makes heat dangerous. The wet-bulb temperature–heat and humidity together–indicates how effectively the body can cool itself. The wet-bulb temperature in the danger zone at some public recreational lands. Sweating it out won’t cool the body down at a wet-bulb temperature of only 79-88 degrees Fahrenheit. Exercise can lead to life-threatening heat stroke. How to prevent it:
- Sharp, involuntary cramps or spasms, mild fatigue, or a higher-than-normal heart rate are early warnings. Cool down and get electrolytes in.
- Heat exhaustion looks like lightheadedness, dizziness, mild confusion, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling faint when standing, a weak and rapid heart rate, fatigue, or headache. If these symptoms appear, stop, get somewhere cool, fan the skin, and douse the body with cold water.
- People with a preexisting condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary artery disease, or high cholesterol are at higher risk of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Medications may also affect how the body responds to extreme heat.
Extreme heat is also handled through nature-based solutions that make our cities more climate-resilient. Tree cover can lower ground temperatures by 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit on a summer day. One nationwide study found that urban tree cover saves over 1,000 lives during heat waves annually. It's free, natural air conditioning. That's why GreenLatinos has administered more than $2.65 million in urban greening grants across California, Illinois, and New Mexico, and $23 million in U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry grants in five states and Puerto Rico.
Biodiverse green and blue spaces pay returns for generations, and they pay out to people who need heat protection most: transit riders, outdoor workers, houseless neighbors, and anyone deciding between paying an air conditioning and grocery bill.
But shade can’t replace a dispatcher, a ranger, or a medic. So save your Senators’ office number in your contacts, give it a choice emoji, and leave a message with one question: if FIFA could change the rules of the game to protect soccer players from extreme heat, why don't you think outside the box to ensure climate transparency and heat safety on public lands?
