On Monday, the US administration announced the country’s plan to deal with the frequent heat waves caused by climate change. In United States, these extreme heat waves have become one of the top weather-related reasons causing deaths. This summer has been reported as the warmest on record with 2.6-degree Fahrenheit above the historical average.
Extreme heat is a new climate disaster to prowl in United States after a number of super-storms, wildfires and floods. President Joe Biden stated that due to climate change, extreme heat is gaining strength and occurring more frequently than in the past, threatening communities across the country. The Biden administration has affirmed its commitments in supporting Americans to face the threat together.
According to the administration’s plan, four strategies are to be implemented.
Limiting exposure at the workspace: Regulations will be formulated by the Department of Labor to limit the heat exposure of outdoor workers, in delivery, construction and agricultural industries. The regulations will also consider indoor workers including factory and kitchen staff.
Cooling off families: The funds designated to assist low-income households will be redirected to fund for air-conditioning. Cooling centres will be provided in public schools
Fighting urban heat island effect: According to recent report of US Environmental Protection Agency, Black and African-American individuals are more likely to currently live in high-impact areas. These urban heat island will be introduced with new policies for greening and cooling to reduce the severity of heat waves.
Monitoring heat waves: The National Integrated Heat Health Information System, is a group gathered by the authorities to monitor and share data on extreme heat and will hold meetings to come up with better measures to address climate change. Several prize competitions are currently launched by the Department of Homeland Security to bring new ideas to adapt to the extreme heat caused by climate change.
All these measures are focused mainly on solving a particular symptom of climate change, that is the extreme heat waves. The White House is urging the Congress to pass agendas and proposals to adapt to climate change and shift reliance of the country on fossil fuels to clean energy sources.
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