The Unfolding Climate-change Driven Heat ‘Health Crisis’ in U.S. Cities
Key Takeaways:
- Rising temperatures due to greenhouse emissions, urban development, and population growth pose a significant health risk, particularly to U.S. sunbelt cities like Atlanta, Austin, Miami, and Orlando.
- Major metropolitan cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. are also at risk of significant temperature increases if current trends continue.
- This heat increase can lead to a range of public health issues, including heat stroke, increased air pollution, and insect-borne diseases like Lyme and Zika.
- Local communities can implement specific measures to counter rising temperatures, such as expanding tree canopy, employing reflective rooftops, leveraging ‘cool’ pavement innovations, and establishing more cooling centers.
- It’s vital for cities to prioritize areas most in need as the effect of these rising temperatures will not be evenly distributed, with lower-income communities likely bearing the brunt.
As the significant hotspots in the United States continue to experience rising temperatures due to a mix of greenhouse emissions, urban development, and population growth, the next decades may be increasingly stifling.
The Growing Threat of Heat in Sunbelt Cities
In a recent research, experts project the steepest relative increases in extreme heat throughout this century to affect sunbelt cities like Atlanta, Austin (Texas), and Miami and Orlando in Florida.
Escalating Temperatures in Major Metropolises
However, it’s not just the sunbelt cities that are at risk. The research also indicates that if current trends continue unopposed, temperatures in bustling cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. are also poised to rise significantly.
These projections are based on a model wherein things are maintained on a ‘business as usual’ approach, according to lead researcher, Ashley Broadbent, basing predictions on if things continue in the same vein as they currently are. Broadbent is an assistant research professor at Arizona State University, in Tempe.
A Proactive Approach and Local Measures
Broadbent emphasizes that it’s within our power to reverse these alarming trends. A significant measure in this direction would be the control of greenhouse gas emissions. These are warmth-capturing gases that are expelled into the atmosphere when fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are burned.
Additionally, on the local front, factors such as urbanization and population growth combine with greenhouse emissions to drive climbing temperatures. With cities boasting fewer trees but an abundance of concrete and tall buildings, areas convert into heat islands. Rapidly expanding cities are becoming hotspots, exposing more people to increasing temperatures.
A Novel Study: The Interplay of Factors
This research diverges from similar studies by taking into account the interaction between these heat-increasing factors. This perspective highlights the extent to which urbanization and population growth, aside from greenhouse gases, will impact people’s experience of rising temperatures in the future.
More Than Just Discomforting Heat
Tolerating such heat is not only a matter of managing discomfort. Extreme heat can result in a range of public health issues, resulting in a full-blown health crisis.
Extreme heat can directly lead to heat stroke, but its effects are more pervasive, contributing to air pollution, which is harmful to people with heart and lung diseases. Additionally, rising heat and humidity can also spike rates of insect-borne diseases, such as Lyme and Zika. With surging sea levels and rampant flooding, food and water supplies could be contaminated, leading to further illness.
Forward Projections of Heat Exposure
The novel research probes into the future patterns of population exposure to exceptionally hot days across 47 U.S. metropolitan locations. The term ‘extreme’ is locally defined, calculated based on a city’s average summer temperatures in the initial decade of this century.
In a worst-case scenario that assumes peak global warming, urban development, and population growth, such exposures may amplify by 30 fold. Although, the impacts will not be evenly distributed.
Varied Impact on Cities
The most significant relative increases may be felt in cities like Atlanta, Austin, Miami, and Orlando, owing to rapid population surge. About 23 of the 29 most affected cities will be situated in the Sunbelt region of the nation.
Simultaneously, the most noticeable absolute changes in heat exposure are anticipated in cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. This research study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Local Mitigating Measures
Although the issue of greenhouse gas emissions is global, local communities can undertake specific measures to counter rising temperatures. Suggested actions range from expanding tree canopy, employing reflective rooftops and ‘cool’ pavement innovations, to establishing more cooling centers.
Within each city facing the heat dilemma, the effects will not be identical for all residents. People with lower income will likely bear the brunt, with treeless neighborhoods, outdoor employment, or insufficient access to air conditioning potentially exacerbating a challenging situation.
In implementing solutions, it’s crucial for cities to prioritize those areas most in need to balance the effects throughout all communities.
More Information
For additional information on mitigating heat island effects, refer to the resource available from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency here.
