Texas: Too hot to handle, or too hot to care?

As Texas Sweltered, Big Oil Cashed In

Texans are in the midst of a brutal summer, with temperatures soaring past 90°F. As the state bake under the sun, the question on everyone's mind is: how can we stay cool without breaking the bank?

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, as of 2020, 90% of US households relied on air conditioning. Texas, already the largest energy consumer, sees its energy usage skyrocket during the summer months. The state's energy usage is a direct reflection of its oppressive summer heat, and the fact that Texas is home to many disaggregated, profit-driven energy providers.

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends 78 degrees as the ideal temperature, a setting that allegedly offers savings without discomfort.

But is this recommendation fair, or even realistic, for Texans? As the state grapples with yet another heatwave, we must acknowledge that the climate crisis isn't an abstraction—it's a daily reality. The climate crisis is racialized, gendered, and classed, and Texans of color, especially those from low-income backgrounds, are disproportionately affected by the heat. The climate crisis is an urgent issue of social justice, and we must center these marginalized communities in our responses.

So, what can be done?

• Resist the oil industry's profit-driven agenda: Texas Energy, a subsidiary of a larger oil conglomerate, recommend setting your thermostat to 85 degrees when you're away, a temperature that is unsafe and uncomfortable for most. This recommendation is not about your comfort or safety, it's about their profit margins.

• Demand structural change: The city of Austin, a supposed bastion of progressivism, offers tepid suggestions such as blocking out the sun with blinds and planting trees. While these tips might offer a Band-Aid solution, they fail to address the systemic issues that led to this crisis and center the feelings of white, middle-class liberals.

• Take direct action for collective liberation: The climate crisis demands urgent, systemic change, and that won't come from individual actions alone. We must organize collectively to demand an end to the extractive, profit-driven practices of the oil industry and a just transition to renewable energy that centers the needs of marginalized communities.

The climate crisis is a class issue, a race issue, and a gender issue. It's past time we treated it as such.

• [Organization name]