The United States is preparing for a scorching summer. Cities are creating rules to protect residents from heat waves and trying new ways to communicate the dangers of extreme temperatures.
Even though the official start to summer is still weeks away, it’s impossible for these measures not to be taken soon.
After temperatures reached almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit in certain areas on May 21, conditions in Mississippi and Texas set new temperature records more than a week earlier. A heat dome baked large swathes of the Southeast, New England and beyond that weekend.
Kristina Dahl (a principal climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists) said that it was the type of early-season heat wave that served as a reminder of the dangers of extreme temperatures. Dahl stated that heat waves are becoming more frequent and more severe due to climate change. This should be a wakeup call for the country.
She said that heat is dangerous regardless of where you live or how used to it.
Even in areas of the country that are more temperate, climate change is forcing states and countries to face extreme heat events.
Oregon’s workplace safety agency has adopted the strongest protection rules in the country to protect workers from heat-related illness and death. These rules require employers to give more breaks and provide ample shade as well as drinking water. They also apply to temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
A devastating heat wave that decimated the Pacific Northwest caused more than 100 deaths in Washington and Oregon last year. This shocking glimpse at what can happen to areas that aren’t adequately prepared was displayed during the three-day event.
Jamie Pang, the director of the Oregon Environmental Council’s environmental health program, stated that efforts to put in strong heat protections throughout the region are a sign of how widespread the impacts climate change is.
She said, “It’s impressive that a state from the Pacific Northwest took lead in formulating these protections to workers.” It’s a clear sign that climate change will affect everyone,
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published its summer outlook last week. It forecasts above-normal temperatures in nearly all parts of the contiguous United States between June and August.
Dahl stated that extreme heat events are essentially a result of warmer-than-usual climate conditions.
She said, “As the average temperature increases in any region, it makes is that much more likely that it will cross the threshold to extreme conditions.”
Climate change is making heat waves more intense and frequent. Extreme heat events are occurring earlier than normal — sometimes in April or May in some cases — and often stretching into autumn.
“We must decouple heat and summer,” Kathy Baughman McLeod said, the director of the Adrienne Arsht – Rockefeller Foundation Ressilience Center at The Atlantic Council, a Washington D.C.-based thinktank. “There is a cultural idea of summer that we associate with vacations and beaches. But many people don’t realize how dangerous heat can become.”
Baughman McLeod describes heat as a “silent killer” since symptoms of heat-related illnesses can go unnoticed until too late. She said that even though forecasts are useful in predicting heat waves ahead of time, it can be difficult to communicate risks that cannot be seen.
Baughman McLeod stated that it’s not the same as hurricanes where roofs are ripped off of houses and cars are swept down streets. It is difficult to communicate how dangerous it is if you don’t see or hear it.
The Atlantic Council’s research includes ways to communicate the dangers of extreme heat to the general public. One initiative is to name and categorize heat waves in order to clarify when people should be cautious and what steps they can take.
This summer, a pilot program will be conducted in Seville, Spain and Athens (Greece), as well as Los Angeles and Miami, U.S.A. to assess the effectiveness of these communication methods.
California Assemblywoman Luz Rigas, D-San Fernando Valley introduced legislation earlier in the month to create an early warning system for extreme heat events. It would rank them according to their severity and possible health effects. The Assembly passed the bill this week and it will be next up for vote in the state Senate.
Rivas stated that her first encounter with extreme heat was in 1995, when she worked in Chicago as a student. In July 1995, a heat wave caused temperatures to soar into the triple digits three days straight, leading to more 700 heat-related deaths.
Rivas stated that she has witnessed firsthand the effects of extreme heat on people in her area.
She said that her district was dominated by low-income essential workers, as well as a lot of people who are outside working in construction and other related fields.
After seeing the events in Washington and Oregon last year, she said that her work felt more urgent.
Rivas stated, “It can happen in California. What happened in the Pacific Northwest made that real.” It is already happening.”
Pang stated that while it is encouraging for states to pass legislation to combat extreme heat, more needs to be done. She said that initiatives to expand air conditioning access or to assist people struggling to pay energy bills could help prevent heat wave deaths, especially in low-income areas.
She added that “We need to have national standards and state standards before tragedy strikes, and not as a response to it.”
Pang stated that she hopes people are more aware of the dangers of global warming and its effects, including extreme heat.