How can we make heatwaves less deadly?
Highest temperatures across the United States on June 14, 2022. White and grey represent three-digit temperatures. picture: critical weatheraccording to the National Weather Service.
It’s been hot this summer. The New York Times reported that the heatwave caused record high temperature This weekend in 16 cities from the Southwest to the Southern Plains.Now, the heat wave is spreading eastward to the Great Lakes, more than 100 million Americans According to the “Washington Post” report, it is under a high temperature warning. Temperatures are in the triple digits across much of the country.
For many, the heat is a fun excuse to go to the beach. But for vulnerable groups such as children, outdoor workers, the elderly and those who can’t afford air conditioning, such heatwaves can be very dangerous.
In fact, heat is major weather-related killers In the United States.estimated to be between 600 and 1,300 Americans die every year from extreme heat—far higher than the death toll from hurricanes, which have killed an average of 118 Americans since 2000. However, hurricanes tend to receive more attention.
What makes heatwaves so dangerous? Why do we underestimate their danger and what can we do about it? understand more, State of the Earth and Robbie Park, an environmental epidemiologist at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Parks studies the links between climate change, weather and public health.
The dangers of heat waves
A heat wave is a period of time unusually hot weather for two days or more. How a heatwave is defined depends on a region’s historical averages.
The most obvious threat of heat is heat stroke or heat stroke. During heat stroke, Sweat mechanism fails And the body cannot cool down, which can lead to death or permanent disability.
More commonly, heat stress can exacerbate other health conditions, leading to death from heart attacks, strokes and other forms of cardiovascular disease, Parks said.And because the high temperature can aggravate air pollutionpeople with respiratory problems may also suffer.
In the long run, heat waves can strain water and energy resources, leading to power shortages and blackouts.They can fuel severe storms and wildfireeven threat to food security If crops and livestock are damaged.
Those most vulnerable to heatwaves include young children, outdoor workers, the elderly, people with chronic diseases and pregnant women.There is also an environmental justice section, which Low-income and higher-risk non-Hispanic blacks from the heat wave.
Why we underestimated heatwaves
If heatwaves are so deadly, why don’t they get the same attention as earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes?
Heatwaves may be less evocative, Parks argues, because they are not visual phenomena.
“Weather events are often well defined in people’s memory due to physical factors,” he said. “If there’s some kind of tsunami or hurricane, you’ll see video of floods, big waves, or high winds. But, in terms of temperature, it’s invisible. If you’re looking out the window on hot and cold days, it takes an expert to really See the difference.”
There may also be a cultural belief that hot weather is good weather, which downplays the dangers of extreme heat, he added.
Time for a roll call?
Can naming heatwaves help save lives? The idea has been debated for years, with some experts suggesting the names could help raise public awareness and safety measures for heatwaves.
Axios report This month, Seville, Spain, is expected to be the first city to start naming a severe heatwave. Several cities — including Los Angeles; Miami; Milwaukee; Kansas City, Missouri; and Athens — are testing methods for classifying heatwaves using weather data and public health standards.
Naming and classifying heatwaves doesn’t come without some complications. For example, unlike hurricanes, which are classified according to wind speed, extreme heat is defined differently in Arizona and Oregon. Still, Parks thinks the idea is feasible and sensible overall.
“If you can set the appropriate parameters to name specific heat events, and you can activate emergency funding, that’s an effective workaround,” he said.
Similarly, Simon MasonChief Climate Scientist at Columbia University’s International Institute for Climate and Society, emphasized Policies need to be designed around names and categories to ensure the public understands how to respond to heat waves of varying degrees. As he told Wired in 2020: “Unless we design management and strategy around this naming convention, we’re going to miss the point of doing so.”
What works for cooling off
There are a variety of measures that cities, states and the federal government can take to reduce short- and long-term heatwave damage.
On a local scale, Parks recommends setting up block chiefs who know the most vulnerable residents in the neighborhood and who can walk around and check on them during a heatwave.
in a study Published last year, Parks and his colleagues examined how the 2020 summer of COVID-19 and extreme summer heat affected low-income communities of color in New York City.them Identify city-level policies and programs to help – Including building cooling centers, providing home air conditioning, and planting trees, which can help cool communities. Cities can also help by opening swimming pools and ensuring the use of public fountains.
Parks particularly stressed the need for people to be able to calm down with dignity in their own homes. He noted that while New Yorkers have historically viewed heating in the winter as a fundamental right, home cooling has received relatively little support, although in both cases a lack of heating can be fatal.
Even with plans to give away air conditioners, people may need help paying for their energy bills, Parks said. “Two years ago, in the hot summer of 2020, some vulnerable people got air conditioners. Some people don’t use them, and some people don’t usually use AC, especially because electricity bills keep going up. So it’s an energy security issue, and it’s a Environmental justice issues.”
In the longer term, at higher levels of government, implementing sustainable energy infrastructure to power these cooling units and reduce carbon emissions will also help fight the growing heatwave. hotter, longer, more often due to climate change.
Whatever action is taken, Parks said, “heat mitigation efforts should fundamentally be driven from an environmental justice perspective.”
For those facing extreme temperatures, experts recommend staying hydrated and avoiding strenuous outdoor activities.For those of you who can’t use your air conditioner reliably, here are some useful tips Keep your body at a safe temperature during a heat wave.
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