Planning for heat/climate change | Public health
Not too smart (did help me lose some weight). I was struck by how this one playground facility in Fitts Park was the only one I've ever seen with shade screens.
I doubt it was to deal with the heat specifically.
More for design aesthetics probably, but increasingly these kinds of measures should be taken within parks and place planning, to make places more resilient wrt heat and sun.
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For example, in bike planning, I keep mentioning misters. But misters probably should be deployed more widely as a matter of public space management.
I've discussed a few times, Heat Wave, the book by sociologist Eric Klinenberg which studied the impact of a heat wave on the vulnerable in Chicago, and the conditions and characteristics between neighborhoods with similar demographics concerning the poor and less resourced, and how these conditions shaped outcomes positively or negatively.
-- "Documentary -- Cooked: Survival by Zip Code | PBS Independent Lens"
There's been been writings recently on Phoenix especially, with summer temperatures over 120°, the impact on vulnerable populations, and their response ("As Phoenix swelters, the nights are even worse than the boiling days," "Unhoused in Phoenix’s perilous heat: ‘If I don’t keep cool, I’ll die’," Guardian).
Phoenix was one of the first cities to appoint a "heat officer," to coordinate municipal action and response on the issues ("Climate change is already here in many US communities | "Heat Officers" versus Climate Change Officers").
The Washington Post has three articles today on the topic:
-- "U.K. braces for record temperatures as ‘heat apocalypse’ hits Europe." As Europe has experienced rising temperatures over the past 20 years, institutions are taking more measures to reduce the negative impact. For example, 75% of housing in France doesn't have air conditioning. French nursing homes are taking measures to provide for "extreme" cooling in the face of extreme heat, etc.
-- "Climate change is pushing hospitals to tipping point." From the article:
Each of the organizations that signed onto the pledge — which included public hospitals, health-care centers, pharmaceutical companies, medical-device makers and suppliers — are expected to develop climate-resilience plans for their facilities, including plans to support individuals or communities most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
According to Ebi, any plan should mention what she called the “low-hanging fruit,” including:
- Understanding your patient base, and how it could shift with climate change
- Outlining community vulnerabilities to global warming (for example, care centers that are based in a flood plain)
- Planning personnel schedules around forecast weather events, or rescheduling surgeries to ensure anticipated surge capacity
- Providing opportunities for patients that benefit their health and the environment, such as a garden to supply fresh food for the cafeteria
-- "A Texas meteorologist warned of power outages. Then the lights went out." This has to do with managing energy demands in the face of extreme conditions. It's interesting that as part of weather forecasting, television meteorologists report on electricity availability.
Increasingly, Texas' energy generation system is stressed whether it's hot or cold. But it's not just an energy production and regulation issue, it's a matter of public health.
-- "Cold wave: the Texas power debacle disproportionately impacts the less well off"
For example, Texas public water systems were damaged by the power outage in the extreme cold, health facilities and their ability to provide services are affected, and of course, the weather-related deaths, which arguably totaled in the thousands.
Also see "Heat impact calculator: Not all neighborhoods suffer equally," Orange County Register.
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Plus there are other climate change risks, like wildfires, flooding, etc.
Labels: disaster planning, emergency management planning, global warming-climate change-drought, health and wellness planning, hospitals, provision of public services, public health, risk management
posted by Richard Layman @ 3:31 PM&Permanent Link
3 Comments:
The Guardian: This heatwave has eviscerated the idea that small changes can tackle extreme weather.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/18/heatwave-extreme-weather-uk-climate-crisis
The Guardian US: Alarm as fastest growing US cities risk becoming unlivable from climate crisis.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/20/us-fastest-growing-cities-risk-becoming-unlivable-climate-crisis
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/07/21/heat-deaths-increase-climate-change-effects-worse/70436488007/
Extreme heat is killing more people – and the worst is yet to come
https://www.phoenix.gov/oepsite/Documents/Tree%20and%20Shade%20Master%20Plan.pdf
Tree and Shade Master Plan, Phoenix
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/23/opinion/climate-heat-deaths-poverty.html
Rising Heat Deaths Are Not Just About the Temperature
https://archive.is/y1Wig
I grew up in Texas and for as long as I can remember, summer brought news stories of heat deaths. But I also remember when summers were more bearable. Now, the heat is getting worse and more people are dying. While it is important to highlight heat deaths as another example of the devastating toll of climate change, it is also important to say that, often, when people die of heat, they are actually dying of poverty. And as with climate change, the rippling effects of poverty must also be addressed, battled and curbed.
To be sure, poverty is not a factor in every heat death. Wealthier people can end up in dangerous situations, and all of us must take precautions to stay cool and hydrated as we face record-breaking temperatures across the country.
Those most likely to die from heat, however, tend to be older people, migrants, those in poverty, those experiencing homelessness or inadequate housing, and those who work outside, like construction workers and agricultural laborers. Dangerous heat disproportionally affects Black and Latino families. Much like Covid-19 endangers and affects everyone, but has disproportionally affected historically disadvantaged communities, heat deaths expose deep societal inequality. Soaring heat deaths represent a societal failure. They demonstrate not only the harm of environmental destruction, but also how the poor fall through the cracks, how we as a society do not adequately care for one another, how we leave the vulnerable to die.
This is usually a sin of omission. We do not want the economically disadvantaged to not have access to working air-conditioners. We do not want the poor to be endangered. But we often do not see or know our most vulnerable neighbors.
Then there are times when these deaths are caused by a sin of commission — an intentional act of greed and callousness. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, for instance, signed a bill into law, amid triple-digit temperatures, that eliminated local regulations in Austin and Dallas mandating 10-minute water breaks every four hours for construction workers. It also prevented other cities from requiring even these modest safety measures. Applauded by supporters as pro-business, this bill expresses a shocking and inhumane disregard for human lives. Texas lawmakers appear to be punishing people for having the audacity to be working-class while also having basic bodily needs.
There are already good examples of what can be done. Dallas, for instance, began an assistance program that distributes and installs free air-conditioning units for low-income families, the elderly and those with disabilities. We can help offset and limit energy bills for those who are economically struggling. We can create more cooling stations and reduce heat islands through having more tree canopies. We can provide water stations for migrants. We can ensure that those who work outside are protected by law. And we can each volunteer, donate to and support organizations that lift the burden on struggling neighbors around us.
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