Lawmakers should get behind legislation to make California the first state in the nation to rank heat waves, a step that could save countless lives.
Still, most of today’s early-warning systems do not explicitly account for the risks of a changing climate. To be more adaptive, planners should have timelines for reviewing changes at the beginning and end of the summer season, and form regional partnerships to ensure consistent messaging. There will also be a need for early-warning systems that account for multiple thresholds, such as temperature readings combined with local knowledge of particularly vulnerable populations.
For example, initial warnings might be issued several days before the peak of a heat wave to alert at-risk groups such as older adults, young children and pregnant women. A second set of warnings could then be issued at somewhat higher temperatures for outdoor workers and people engaged in sports or related activities, followed by a third set of warnings for the general public at the usual threshold for declaring a heat wave.
A much warmer future requires urgent and immediate investments that capitalize on best practices and lessons learned from existing heat adaptation plans. Effective models need to be scaled up to enhance resilience and sustainability. Unprecedented higher temperatures are survivable, but not unless we prepare for them.
Kristie L. Ebi is a professor of global health and environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington.