“The Climate Divide” season four explores the decisions that will define the District’s climate future
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As a historically hot summer continues in the District, “The Climate Divide” is back to cover the important choices our government needs to make now to be climate resilient and protect the residents most vulnerable to extreme weather.
Punishing heat has returned to the District with temperatures expected to soar past 90 degrees for the next few days. Extreme heat is the biggest killer of any natural disaster, according to the National Weather Service. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that heat kills more than 1,000 people in an average year.
This summer’s streak of hot weather has already led to at least eight deaths and hundreds of hospitalizations in the D.C. region. According to the Maryland Department of Health, heat caused six deaths in Prince George’s County and two in Montgomery County. The Virginia Department of Health’s dashboard reports that more than 300 people in the state’s northern region have visited an emergency room or urgent care facility for heat-related illnesses. Both departments track heat-related health impacts from May through September. In D.C., the Washington Post reported on July 10 that there have been no heat-related fatalities. DC Health didn’t immediately return a phone call requesting more recent information. UPDATE: Due to heat exposure, nearly 300 people have needed emergency medical services since May 1, according to DC Health’s Heat-Related EMS Illnesses dashboard. A DC Health spokesperson confirmed that there have been no heat-related fatalities so far this summer.
According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, heat waves and rainfall are intensifying in the Northeast, which includes D.C. The city has ambitious goals to adapt to this extreme weather and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change. These goals include expanding the tree canopy to cover 40 percent of the city by 2032 and becoming carbon neutral by 2045. But there’s no guarantee that the District will actually hit those targets to eliminate fossil fuels from buildings and vehicles or expand D.C.’s shade giving tree canopy.
How the District responds to these challenges will determine if the city actually hits those targets. These are decisions that will impact how livable D.C. will be in the future for all residents.
As the season progresses, we’ll talk to Dr. Vivek Shandas, a professor at Portland State University and leading expert on urban heat islands and their connection to discriminatory housing policies; Laurence Daniels, director of litigation at D.C.’s Office of the People’s Counsel; and Jessica Lee, a public program coordinator at the National Weather Service. We’ll also interview D.C. residents about how they are experiencing this summer’s extreme heat and report on new tools to show heat vulnerability. Season four will also take a deeper look at Washington Gas’ controversial PROJECTpipes and the challenges faced by trees growing in cities.
“The Climate Divide” season four will launch on August 7. Find it here at Hola Cultura or wherever you get your podcasts.
– Story by Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe
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