Preparing for the Heat: Climate Resiliency in a Burning World
Two degrees of average warming is NOT our problem
The climate change event nearly everyone is at risk for is extreme, temporary heat. Yes, I know that the IPCC is focused on the average temperatures around the globe and the scientists are focusing on keeping us below 2° C. But when we talk about average temperatures going up by 2° C, which is around 4° F, it doesn’t sound like a big deal. On many days in the northern latitudes, one could expect someone to think: “Hey, it wouldn’t be so bad if it were a few degrees warmer!”
Friends, two degrees of average warming is not our problem. Climate change is coming, and it is going to show up as an extreme heat event. Not two degrees or four. No. More like 30° F. Maybe 40° F. Not for a day. But for a week, maybe two. And daily low temperatures could stay over 100° F. We’re going to need a way to survive it, and most people aren’t ready. We’ll get to what we must do about it in a minute, but first, why the alarm?
Ringing the alarm over extreme heat
People are alarmed about heat because climate scientists are seeing it coming. We all know that there has been a relatively rapid change in average temperatures around the globe and that heat waves have come with it. Last…
