Facing Scorching Heat Waves, Cities Call on Scientists to Understand How People Respond<\/p>\n
Miami and New York City officials say they need more insight into how searing temperatures affect homeless people and other vulnerable populations<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
By Chelsea Harvey<\/a> & E&E News<\/a><\/p>\n Sprinklers help people to cool off in Long Island City, N.Y., as temperatures soared on June 21, 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Selcuk Acar\/Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n CLIMATEWIRE |<\/b> U.S. cities want more research from scientists to help them handle extreme heat<\/a> \u2014 especially the way high temperatures influence human behavior and health.<\/p>\n That was the message from a panel discussion Wednesday at Columbia University. Officials from Miami and New York City shared their heat research wishlists, and social studies \u2014 centered on high-risk populations \u2014 made the top of the list.<\/p>\n The use of cooling centers \u2014 specifically, who goes to them and why \u2014 was a big question for Isabelle Thomas, a policy adviser in the New York City mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing<\/a>. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do people go to cooling centers? Why don\u2019t people go to cooling centers?” she asked. “What is their perception of the urgency \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 as it relates to extreme heat?\u201d<\/p>\n She noted some communities face more risk from skyrocketing temperatures, such as outdoor workers and people experiencing homelessness. Better insight on the experiences of these vulnerable populations would help decisionmakers craft more effective heat-related policies.<\/p>\n \u201cWe still in New York City are lacking some data on occupational heat exposure and health impacts, specifically as it relates to food vendors and delivery workers and other workers who are outside in the city,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n Cities also need better data on the number of people who die or fall sick during heat waves, said Jane Gilbert, the chief heat officer in Miami-Dade County. As of right now, these estimates are often vastly undercounted.<\/p>\n Extreme temperatures can directly lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke or even death<\/a>. These cases are easy to spot. But heat can have indirect effects on human health as well, such as exacerbating preexisting health conditions, increasing the risk of workplace injuries or affecting mental health. These indirect effects often go unrecorded on hospitalization records or death certificates.<\/p>\n \u201cReally, direct heat deaths, illnesses, hospitalizations is the tip of the iceberg of health impacts,\u201d Gilbert said.<\/p>\n Studies investigating how many people are actually hospitalized or dying from extreme heat<\/a> \u2014 as well as where it\u2019s happening and which populations are the most affected \u2014 can help policymakers design better protections for vulnerable communities.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us to design and prioritize interventions, having that situational understanding of where these illnesses and deaths are \u2014 where that exposure is happening \u2014 is very important for us,\u201d Gilbert said.<\/p>\n Cities face some of the worst impacts of intensifying heat. That\u2019s thanks to a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect<\/a>. Urban centers are often hotter than their rural surroundings, warmed by denser populations, more asphalt, darker surfaces<\/a> and fewer trees.<\/p>\n There are also stark differences between neighborhoods within the same city, depending on their density and access to green space. And studies have found that low-income families and people of color are more likely to live in hotter neighborhoods<\/a>.<\/p>\n That puts cities on the front lines of heat adaptation<\/a>, with vulnerable populations facing the most risk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both New York and Miami have implemented heat action plans, with goals to expand cooling resources and dampen rising urban temperatures.<\/p>\n Miami\u2019s plan calls for improved emergency response during heat waves, greater access to air conditioning<\/a> and expanding the county\u2019s tree canopy coverage. New York officials also aim to grow the city\u2019s tree cover, and they\u2019re working on establishing a maximum indoor air temperature policy for schools and other facilities.<\/p>\n Other cities across the country have plans of their own.<\/p>\n Phoenix and Los Angeles, like Miami, have hired chief heat officers. Cities from Philadelphia to Houston have designed emergency response plans for heat waves and developed plans to increase their heat resilience. Even King County in Washington, which includes Seattle, developed its first extreme-heat mitigation strategy after the record-breaking Pacific Northwest heat dome of 2021.<\/p>\n Still, experts say more action is needed as temperatures rise.<\/p>\n \u201cOur lives have to change and our lifestyles have to change and the way that we go about our business and our daily lives during hot weather has to change,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be for the worst. I think we have a lot of opportunities to reshape the way that we\u2019re experiencing our daily lives in order to accommodate and stay safe during extreme heat<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Reprinted from <\/i>E&E News<\/i><\/a> with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2024. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/static.scientificamerican.com\/dam\/m\/464dc9fdffe27829\/original\/GettyImages-2158129862_WEB.jpg?w=600\")
On supporting science journalism<\/h2>\n
Worsening urban heat islands<\/h2>\n