Climate Change
May. 25th, 2026 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithWhat really causes heatwave deaths? Study of 3 billion people reveals the answer
“For example, a city in which everyone has air conditioning is not necessarily one in which there is no Systemic Cooling Poverty,” said lead author Giacomo Falchetta, a CMCC researcher.
“This shows that there are many factors that influence Systemic Cooling Poverty: transport, building materials, laws and regulations around work and exposure to heat, as well as access to services.”
I'll throw in another point that is increasingly serious: when someone has air conditioning, it breaks, and repair is simply not considered a priority by the wider system. Air conditioning is no longer a luxury but now life support in many places, and for some people wherever it gets more than mildly warm. But every time our cooling system breaks, it takes months to get it fixed. Apparently the company that makes repair parts won't ship them until they have enough going in one direction to make it "worthwhile" to ship.
So that is an entire summer without proper cooling. A summer of driving around during the heat of the day, or hiding out in stores or other public places that are cool, having limited ability to work, and nights sleeping in an oven. That's going to get people killed. Heat stress is an increasingly probable way that I could die. Lack of taking this seriously is going to run up the death rate in heat waves too. Good thing the human population has lots of bodies to spare.
“For example, a city in which everyone has air conditioning is not necessarily one in which there is no Systemic Cooling Poverty,” said lead author Giacomo Falchetta, a CMCC researcher.
“This shows that there are many factors that influence Systemic Cooling Poverty: transport, building materials, laws and regulations around work and exposure to heat, as well as access to services.”
I'll throw in another point that is increasingly serious: when someone has air conditioning, it breaks, and repair is simply not considered a priority by the wider system. Air conditioning is no longer a luxury but now life support in many places, and for some people wherever it gets more than mildly warm. But every time our cooling system breaks, it takes months to get it fixed. Apparently the company that makes repair parts won't ship them until they have enough going in one direction to make it "worthwhile" to ship.
So that is an entire summer without proper cooling. A summer of driving around during the heat of the day, or hiding out in stores or other public places that are cool, having limited ability to work, and nights sleeping in an oven. That's going to get people killed. Heat stress is an increasingly probable way that I could die. Lack of taking this seriously is going to run up the death rate in heat waves too. Good thing the human population has lots of bodies to spare.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-05-26 02:14 am (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2026-05-26 02:27 am (UTC)However, there is an endless, free source of cooling that requires no electricity right underfoot. The ground stays cool, a fairly short distance below the surface. Hence the use of root cellars to store food before refrigerators. It would make sense for towns to make use of cellars or other underground spaces, and to establish cooling shelters, before they are needed in an emergency. In places where underground spaces are unfeasible (e.g. due to flooding) a similar effect may be achieved by building thick walls of earth, concrete, etc. above ground.