{"id":58903,"date":"2023-07-17T09:30:38","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T16:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=58903"},"modified":"2023-07-17T09:30:38","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T16:30:38","slug":"the-heat-is-on-california-ramps-up-coping-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=58903","title":{"rendered":"The Heat Is On: California Ramps Up Coping Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_66 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_66\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span><a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/author\/mark\/\">Mark Hedin<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_67 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_67\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2023-07-14T17:16:11-07:00\">Jul 14, 2023<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_68 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_68\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Exposure to extreme heat can be deadly. But simple solutions, such as planting more trees for shade, can greatly mitigate harm for vulnerable communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_69 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_69\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"entry-thumb td-animation-stack-type0-2\" title=\"mark hedin extreme heat\" src=\"https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mark-hedin-extreme-heat.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mark-hedin-extreme-heat.jpg 1250w, https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mark-hedin-extreme-heat-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mark-hedin-extreme-heat-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mark-hedin-extreme-heat-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mark-hedin-extreme-heat-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mark-hedin-extreme-heat-696x393.jpg 696w, https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mark-hedin-extreme-heat-1068x603.jpg 1068w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1250\" height=\"706\" \/><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">The free access Barton Springs Municipal Pool in Austin, Texas. (photo by Tomek Baginski via Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_70 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_70\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Extreme heat poses the greatest natural risk to human health. These days, there\u2019s plenty of it, and more is on the way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not your grandmother\u2019s summer,\u201d Marta Segura, chief heat officer and director of climate emergency mobilization for the city of Los Angeles, warned at a July 13 press briefing, the first of three planned to discuss the health risks heat poses to Californians and the resources being marshaled to combat it.<\/p>\n<p>The briefing, hosted by Ethnic Media Services and California\u2019s Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications, came the week after Planet Earth recorded highest-yet daily average temperatures on four consecutive days, from July 3-6.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"widget2\" title=\"Low-income Neighborhoods Exposed to Higher Levels of Pollution During Extreme Heat\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AdPByJp1cGc?feature=oembed\" width=\"100%\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-10=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Marta Segura, chief heat officer and director of climate emergency mobilization for the city of Los Angeles<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Segura was joined by UCLA Professor V. Kelly Turner, Dr. Lucia Abascal of the state Department of Public Health, Dr. Kimberly Chang, of Asian Health Services and Sandra Young, founder of the Mixteco Indigenous Community Organizing Project.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Extreme Heat Can Kill<\/h2>\n<p>Two days before, OCPSC had launched a $20 million \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/heatreadyca.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Heat Ready California<\/a>\u201d campaign to help people stay safe from the deadly effects of extreme heat.<\/p>\n<p>Turner spoke of how urban development has created \u201cheat islands\u201d where asphalt predominates over shade and green space.<\/p>\n<p>Something as simple as a shade structure, she said \u2014\u00a0 strategically placed tree plantings, awnings, or bus shelters \u2014 can reduce people\u2019s body heat temperatures by tens of degrees.<\/p>\n<p>But currently, she said, \u201cmost Californians are effectively living in shade deserts.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Less Asphalt, More Shade<\/h2>\n<p>It gets worse according to where you live. For example, research conducted in Pacoima, in Los Angeles\u2019 San Fernando Valley, found that less than 10% of the space at the schools provided shade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlay yards need less asphalt and more shade,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Other research has shown that some types of dwellings, such as mobile homes, even when air-conditioned, can\u2019t always be sufficiently cooled.<\/p>\n<p>She recommended \u201cshade audits\u201d for those communities that haven\u2019t done them yet, as well as rental unit regulation not just for sufficient protection against cold, but for heat as well. And then, she mentioned, 40% of heat-related deaths currently are among those with no housing at all.<\/p>\n<p>UCLA\u2019s Luskin Center for Innovation, where she works, has published two extensive reports,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/innovation.luskin.ucla.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/CEMO-Comprehensive-Project-Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Identifying and Addressing Heat Inequities in the City of Los Angeles<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/innovation.luskin.ucla.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Turning-Down-the-Heat.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Turning Down the Heat<\/a>\u00a0that detail disparities across Los Angeles\u2019s communities that affect hot weather health, and recommendations for improvements.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stay Cool<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cOf all the natural disasters, heat is the main killer,\u201d Abascal said. \u201cIt\u2019s very, very important for everyone to understand the dangers of heat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStay cool,\u201d she said. For those who can\u2019t afford to run their home air conditioning or don\u2019t have any, she recommended libraries, malls or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caloes.ca.gov\/cal-oes\/active-incidents\/cooling-centers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cooling centers.\u00a0<\/a>A list of these\u00a0and other resources is available by county at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caloes.ca.gov\/cal-oes\/active-incidents\/cooling-centers\/\">\u201cHeat Ready California\u201d\u00a0<\/a>website.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"widget4\" title=\"Ensuring Workers Are Safe During Extreme Heat\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dDnou4o4yvg?feature=oembed\" width=\"100%\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-10=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Dr. Lucia Abascal of the state Department of Public Health<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Secondly: \u201cStay hydrated!\u201d Especially high-risk populations such as those with disabilities, the young, the old, and pregnant women.<\/p>\n<p>But \u201ceven somebody that\u2019s healthy can suffer from heat stroke,\u201d she said. Dizziness, leg cramps, disorientation are three warning signs.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shade Structures<\/h2>\n<p>Neighborhoods that have been short-changed in access to nearby public parks and green spaces that might offer shade, or whose residents have to travel farther to get health care, also have higher incidence of heat-related health problems.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLos Angeles wants to take the lead by investing in those areas that have been historically neglected,\u201d Segura said. As part of the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.climate4la.org\/heat-relief-4-la\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Heat Relief for L.A.<\/a>\u201d campaign, she said, all 73 libraries will be open, along with 10 cooling centers.<\/p>\n<p>Among the efforts she advocated are accelerating current plans to add shade structures to bus stops in communities that rely on public transit and finding ways to make air conditioning more affordable to low-income users.<\/p>\n<p>Communities already impacted by pollution, she noted, are also additionally vulnerable, because \u201cheat exacerbates pollution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Workers, she said, should be aware of their rights to take breaks and ensure they stay hydrated.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workers\u2019 Rights<\/h2>\n<p>Sandra Young also addressed the circumstances of agricultural workers, acknowledging that most are undocumented and therefore less likely to challenge employers about substandard working conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Often, even when water is available, it\u2019s too far from where the workers are to make it easily accessible without risking heat exhaustion and lost earnings.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"widget6\" title=\"Agrichemicals, Low-pay Among Obstacles Farmworkers Face When Trying to Stay Cool in Extreme Heat\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ITNHQwKRd-Q?feature=oembed\" width=\"100%\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-10=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Sandra Young, founder of the Mixteco Indigenous Community Organizing Project<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>She called for on-site advocacy for adequate working conditions and a health care system that goes beyond being service providers to being advocates for their clients.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur health care system still has a long way to go to meet the needs of the farmworker community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asian American Elders Are Vulnerable<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Kimberly Chang addressed some issues for AAPI communities in Oakland, where she works, and in the Central Valley, where in a single decade there was a 53% increase in heat-related emergency department visits and hundreds of deaths.<\/p>\n<p>In Oakland, despite the relatively temperate climate, her clients too often live in crowded apartments, without elevators. Older adults, who typically have lost some of their innate ability to regulate their body temperatures, need to be mindful of what they\u2019re wearing \u2013 Bay Area residents often dress in layers to protect them from cold \u2013 and wear more white instead of black, she said.<\/p>\n<p>In general, looser, lightweight clothing, and deploying fans are also simple but effective strategies, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople don\u2019t like to be told what to do,\u201d Segura said, in closing. But, \u201cprepare in advance. It\u2019s a long-term game.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ByMark Hedin Jul 14, 2023 Exposure&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ca-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=58903"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58904,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58903\/revisions\/58904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=58903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=58903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=58903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}