On Capitol Hill, progressive Democrats joined climate activists Wednesday to demand that President Biden declare a national climate emergency. This is Ashley Engle, an activist with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

Ashley Engle: “As you may know, Oklahoma is firmly situated on the frontlines of the climate crisis and fossil fuel extraction. And currently we are the epicenter of the nation’s heat wave. In fact, we’ve experienced nearly a month straight of temperatures well over 100 degrees, with only hotter days ahead — wildfires, drought and man-made earthquakes brought about by fracking that are destroying our already impacted and neglected infrastructure. … With a dependency on an industry that endangers us, it couldn’t be clearer that we need a just transition now.”

This comes as parts of North America and Europe continue to experience record temperatures. Meteorologists now say scorching heat in the Pacific Northwest is expected to last longer than initially predicted, with triple-digit highs forecast again today in some areas.