Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration is only the second in modern American history that dangerous Arctic temperatures have forced indoors. The last was Ronald Reagan’s second one in 1985 when wind chills plunged below zero.

However, this winter’s unstoppable, ferocious cold isn’t confined to the U.S. In the Eastern Hemisphere, temperatures have fallen to record lows in Northern India, unusual frost has appeared in regions of Thailand that typically are spared freezes, and unprecedented cold has descended on Qatar.

In Japan, there has been heavy snowfall in the ski resorts and more snow is expected through January. Europe’s southeast has experienced “polar conditions,” resulting in deadly disruptions.

Ireland has been hit hard by snow and severe weather, leaving thousands of houses without water and electricity. There was a major disruption to public transit, and non-emergency medical appointments were canceled. England may witness the 7th coldest January since 1659.

Iran, already reeling from an energy crisis, has resorted to nationwide shutdowns to conserve power amidst record cold. Even typically temperate regions like Taiwan saw a surge in deaths with hundreds of lives lost this month, and physicians have warned that cold could exacerbate illnesses.

In Thailand, frost and stormy seas left communities ill-equipped to cope, while in northern India, a lack of adequate shelter and heating resulted in numerous deaths. These incidents underscore the disproportionate impact of extreme cold on poorer nations, where energy poverty exacerbates vulnerability.

Cold Is a Big Killer of a Species Made for Warmth

The Arctic blast is a stark reminder of a seldom-discussed truth: Humans are a species of tropical origin. While we’ve conquered nearly every corner of the globe through technological innovation, our biological machinery remains stubbornly tropical in its preferences.

Our bodies dissipate heat efficiently through mechanisms like sweating, and with simple interventions—fans, shade, and hydration—we stave off heat-related illnesses. Cold, however, is an entirely different story.

When temperatures plummet, our blood vessels constrict to conserve core temperature, blood pressure rises, and our hearts must work harder. For those with underlying health conditions, this additional stress can be fatal. Risk increases for strokes, heart attacks, and other dangerous conditions.

A comprehensive Lancet study on global mortality patterns underscores this reality. While heat-related deaths claim thousands annually, cold-related deaths outnumber them dramatically. The study found that for every heat-related death, nine are attributed to cold.

When Energy Systems Become Paramount

Extreme cold has a unique ability to render survival dependent on uninterrupted energy supplies. A power outage during a heat wave, while dangerous, generally poses less of an immediate threat than one during an Arctic blast. You can survive without air conditioning longer than you can survive without heat in sub-zero temperatures.

The current energy crisis in Iran, where nationwide shutdowns have occurred due to unprecedented heating demand, illustrates how cold weather strains energy systems in ways that hot weather rarely does. We generally don’t see national shutdowns due to energy demand for summer cooling.

No to Climate Politics, Yes to Reliable Energy

This winter’s extreme weather underscores the need to rethink energy policies that focus more on rising temperatures than on mitigating the effects of cold. Arctic blasts are reminders that our reliance on technology to survive frigid conditions remains one of humanity’s greatest vulnerabilities, which was very evident during the Little Ice Age of the 17th century.

While technological advancements have allowed us to inhabit colder regions, there are still vast regions without reliable power and no energy system is completely weatherproof. Weather-dependent solar and wind energy favored by so-called environmentalists certainly are not solutions.

Electrical grids should be strengthened with more fossil fuels and poorer nations relieved of pressures to forego hydrocarbons for unreliable “green” technologies. Climate alarmism about a warming planet, which organizations like the U.N. have been propagating for 30 years, should not be allowed to bring any more suffering.

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Vijay Jayaraj

Vijay Jayaraj is a research associate at the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Va., and holds a master's degree in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia, U.K.He resides in Bengaluru, India.

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