Summer has begun and Californians are literally feeling the heat. Concern about increasingly severe heat waves has steadily increased since 2019, according to the PPIC California Citizens and Environment Survey. Last year, 85% of Californians expressed concern about heat waves, with the highest percentage among respondents who were African American (96%). His annual income is less than $40,000 (89%).
Although last summer was cooler than usual, as climate change continues, Californians face an increased risk of heat waves that impact public health. By 2050, health-impacting heat events are expected to occur for an additional two weeks each summer in the Central Valley and four to 10 times more frequently in the northern Sierra. How is this increased risk impacting the health of Californians, and how can we prepare?
Improve data collection. Heat is considered one of the most deadly weather phenomena, but tracking the impact of extreme heat on public health remains a challenge. Data does not always capture heat-related health effects. Hospital visits and deaths during heatwaves may be due to other health factors. It is also difficult to track long-term health complications from repeated long-term exposure to extreme heat, such as kidney and cardiovascular problems. However, some studies provide insight into this invisible sacrifice. An analysis by the Los Angeles Times calculated excess deaths during heatwaves (more deaths than expected over the same period) and found that from 2010 to 2019, approximately 4,000 deaths were related to extreme heat. estimated that it was possible. UCLA researchers identified more than 8,000 excess emergency room visits per day during the 2009 to 2018 heat waves.
Track and address disparities. The risk of extreme heat is not the same for all Californians and can highlight demographic disparities among California communities.
Black Californians have the highest heat-related death rate of all racial categories, 1.5 times higher than average, at 0.28 per 100,000 compared to an average of 0.17. Older people are 2.5 times more likely to die from extreme heat than the general population (0.44 deaths per 100,000 people over 65 years old, average 0.17 deaths). During the 2022 heat wave, in Los Angeles County, people without safe housing were more than 50 times more likely to die from heat-related deaths than the general population. Outdoor workers and warehouse workers are struggling during the heat wave, especially if proper precautions are not taken. People with comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney problems tend to face higher risks during heatwaves. Low-income neighborhoods tend to lack shade, green space, and air conditioning, making them more vulnerable to extreme heat than higher-income neighborhoods. Uninsured and low-income Californians cannot afford medical care and may end up delaying or skipping treatment, potentially worsening health outcomes.
Strengthen infrastructure. The increased risk of heatwaves also exposes vulnerabilities in physical and social infrastructure. Extreme heat can overwhelm health care resources, especially in regions already struggling with capacity and service limitations. If these events combine with other weather events such as wildfires, resources may become even more scarce. Buildings in areas where heatwaves are less frequent and severe than in the past may lack adequate insulation and air conditioning. Urban heat islands and heat waves, where dense pavements and buildings absorb and retain heat, can be felt more acutely in low-income neighborhoods that lack green space and tree cover. The window for safe outdoor recreation may become even more limited, especially during the summer.
In response to this increased risk, California continues to invest in heat resistance.
Despite this year's state budget cuts, the heat wave and community resilience budget package starting in 2021, based on the governor's May amendment, includes greening schoolyards, urban greening and forestry, and weatherization for low-income families. Approximately $270 million in state funding could be retained for such programs. program. California/OSHA recently approved extending protection under the Heat Stroke Prevention Standard to most indoor workers for the first time this summer, excluding state prisons. This standard is only used to regulate outdoor working conditions. The 2022 Heatwave Action Plan will raise public awareness, build local heat response capacity, improve infrastructure resilience to heatwaves, and deploy nature-based solutions to combat heat risks. I have set a goal to do so.
As the threat of extreme heat to the health of Californians increases, so does the need for new tools to manage risk. State funding and new regulations will support the recovery from the heat, but it is still unclear how much funding will be needed to address growing heat risks. In addition, additional funding may be required to maintain and enforce new policies, particularly at the local level. Training medical professionals and public health officials to better identify and track heat-related illnesses and deaths can provide high-quality data to inform targeted heat recovery policies. Finally, expanding affordable health care to the most vulnerable populations, such as low-income and uninsured Californians, is important across different demographic groups during and in the aftermath of a heat wave. help close the heat risk gap.
