Amir Jina, an economist and climate scientist and assistant professor at the University of Chicago and with the Climate Impact Lab, said at the individual level, extreme temperatures can lead to heat-related illness and exacerbate pre-existing health conditions. Not to mention raise energy costs. "It's the people who are living in poverty, less well-off, who really bear those burdens, because a lot of the ways we have to deal with this. Stay indoors, work from home, that kind of stuff. If you're not able to do that, you're forced to be exposed more," Jina said.