Climate Is Everything

One of the enduring legacies of this summer's heat waves is a disease that few people have heard of. First documented in El Salvador's sugarcane workers 21 years ago, chronic kidney disease of nontraditional origin (CKDnt) occurs among manual laborers working in high-heat conditions.

- Aryn Baker

Characterized by a progressive loss of kidney function, CKDnt has already killed tens of thousands. As temperatures increase because of climate change, those numbers will rise, contributing to what is arguably the world's first occupational disease caused by global warming. Like other workplace injuries, CKDnt can be prevented with increased safety standards.