In Our View: Take action, help people prepare for extreme heat

Headlines in recent days have provided a reminder of our changing reality:

Red Flag warning, heat advisory issued for Clark County, much of Western Washington

Clark County cooling centers offer respite from heat wave

Wildfire smoke from Canada drifts into Clark County; air quality dips

Yes, it has been hot and the effects of climate change have been clear. And while it might seem temperate compared with two years ago, when a heat dome engulfed the region in record temperatures and directly led to 126 deaths in Washington, it is a reminder of the impact of extreme heat.

A new report from researchers at the University of Washington, Gonzaga University and the state departments of Health and Climatology examines that impact. It finds that during the 2021 heat dome, “441 more people died between June 27 and July 3 than would have been expected based on prior years, after removing deaths from COVID-19.”

The report explains that the number “captures deaths where heat played an indirect role, such as kidney failure or cardiac arrest. The 2021 heat dome was the deadliest weather-related disaster in Washington state history.”

Titled “In the Hot Seat,” the study urges action from state and local governments, community organizations, health professionals and individuals to mitigate the risks of extreme heat in the future.

“Enough is already known about the risks of extreme heat, and potential solutions, to take immediate action that will save the lives of Washingtonians when the next extreme heat event occurs,” the authors write. “At the same time, we acknowledge that pressing policy problems, persistent coordination challenges and limited resources complicate efforts to take action.”

Among the recommendations: Take extreme heat into consideration in formulating building codes and urban development; increase tree canopy and shade structures; and expand energy assistance programs for cooling. Indeed, dealing with climate change requires more than efforts to reduce carbon emissions. It also requires government policies that help residents prepare for climbing temperatures.

The conditions that produced the 2021 heat dome are rare. But circumstances are ripe for temperatures that create discomfort and pose health dangers. It doesn’t need to be 115 degrees outside — as it was in Vancouver on June 28, 2021 — to have an impact.

Nor is that impact limited to the Northwest. According to the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer, Tuesday was the hottest day in Earth’s recorded history. That broke the record set Monday and is expected to be surpassed again soon.

Such events highlight the need to help people prepare for extreme heat, particularly in low-income and underserved areas. The “In the Hot Seat” report emphasizes that a majority of Washington households annually earning $50,000 or less have no air conditioning. Those often are in urban areas where a lack of tree canopy and an abundance of concrete increase the intensity of the heat.

Among the early investments from the state’s new carbon cap-and-trade program are rebates to replace traditional home furnaces with electric heat pumps that also can cool homes. That should remain a focus of the program.

Efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change should be a priority for governments at the state and local levels. So, too, should efforts to help people cope with increased temperatures. Our new reality demands a variety of both long-term and short-term actions.