A United Methodist Insight Column
Viral videos that went out in the past few days have shown delivery drivers collapsing from the effects of the extreme heat in the United States. Churches across the country would be wise to take note of these startling videos and other reports as examples of what to watch for as the excessive heat continues through the rest of July. As of July 20, the Washington Post reported that some 100 million Americans from Phoenix to Boston were under extreme heat alerts.
As part of its special coverage 'Silent Killer’: A Series On Surviving The Extremely Hot Future," Jessica McKenzie, an associate editor at The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, writes "How to not die from heat on a too-hot planet." She describes the human body's response to excessive heat:
"So—it’s hot. The body is sweating. The blood is getting thicker and the heart is working harder to pump a lower volume of blood. If the heart can’t keep up, blood pressure drops. Now someone is at risk of becoming dizzy and disoriented. She might fall. She is less equipped to take care of herself, to move to some place cooler, to stand in front of a fan, to drink enough water. It’s a dangerous situation, especially for people who live alone."
Furthermore, "...The human body needs more time to cool and recover than one might think. Cooling centers, for example, are a popular solution for helping people who don’t have home air conditioning. [heat expert Glen] Kenny showed me a chart from a recent, still-unpublished study that compared two groups of elderly individuals who had been exposed to high heat for a long period of time. One group was given access to an air-conditioned environment for several hours before returning to the high-heat environment; the other stayed in high temperatures for the entire time period.
"The chart showed the body temperature of members of a group that spent time in air conditioning decreasing temporarily—but within two hours of returning to the high heat environment, their bodies were as hot as their peers who hadn’t had access to air conditioning. In the air-conditioned environment, blood vessels at the surface of the skin constrict, reducing blood flow, which slows the dissipation of heat. So the skin cools, but the limbs and the core remain at an elevated temperature. As soon as the people leave the air conditioning, their body temperatures rise again very quickly."
So what are we to do? McKenzie's article suggests using a guide prepared by Canada's National Collaborating Center for Environmental Health. The basic precautions:
- Stay hydrated. Drink water, but eat it, too, in the form of fruits and vegetables with high water content.
- Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke: fainting or loss of consciousness, confusion or disorientation, nausea and vomiting, not sweating, rapid breathing, flushed or very pale skin, trouble speaking, irritability, fatigue, thirst or body temperature above 100 degrees F.
- Move to a cooler environment inside -- home, office, or public cooking center.
- Conduct outside activities in the morning before temperatures hit daily highs.
- Check on neighbors, the elderly, young children, and pets.
Churches might even consider canceling events, including worship, when it's too hot.
Additional climate reports
Covering Climate Now, the international collaboration of some 500 media outlets in which United Methodist Insight participates, noted in its recent newsletter that this summer some 32 percent of media accurately reported the link between the extreme heat and fossil-fueled climate crisis compared to only 4 percent last summer. Some excerpts:
"Alex Thomson of Channel 4 News in the UK makes the climate connection and reflects its urgency high up in his report on the European heatwave. He says, “Remember that this isn’t weather that happened, it was caused by human pollution. Unless we respond, there will be more of this, and more often. That is science, not politics.” His linkage to human-caused climate change, the urgency of responding, and the scientific consensus on climate change in just a few words make his story a perfect example of how to report climate and extreme weather.
"Emily Shapiro of ABC News in the US, goes beyond what temperatures are forecast to include the expected heat index as well. Scientists say the heat index — what the temperature, when combined with humidity, feels like to the human body — is a better indicator of the intensity of heat and its health impacts. Including it helps audiences know what to expect.
"Bob Henson’s story for Yale Climate Communication stands out for its use of appropriate climate imagery — a bridge in London swaddled in aluminum foil to protect it from the heat — to convey the seriousness of the heatwave. In addition, when referring to the 2003 European heatwave in his story, Henson includes the correct death toll, which many news organizations have not. Attribution science, which quantifies climate change’s role in extreme weather, concludes that 70,000 people died from extreme heat in 2003 as a result of climate change. Check sources such as World Weather Attribution, Climate Signals, and Climate Central’s 'Climate Shift Index' for the latest attribution science."
Wildfires in Alaska
The Guardian's Down to Earth newsletter reports that "Alaska has experienced more than 500 forest fires since the beginning of April, which have forced the evacuation of mining camps, villages and remote cabins.
"By June 15, more than 1m acres (405,000 hectares) in the state had already gone up in flames, about the area that would normally burn in an entire fire season. By mid-July, more than 3m acres of land had burned, putting the state at risk of breaking its 2004 record of 6.5m acres (2.6m hectares) burned.
"Today, 264 individual fires are burning across the state. 'It’s unprecedented,' said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the International Arctic Research Center in Fairbanks, of this year’s fires."
Time for prayers – and more advocacy and action seeking solutions to the climate crisis.
Some good climate news amid the grim
Here's some good climate news to offset the grim:
From NPR: The iconic grove of giant and ancient sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park is no longer under threat from the Washburn wildfire. Foresters and ecologists say a half-century of intentional burning or ''prescribed fire'' practices have dramatically reduced forest fuel, allowing the blaze to pass through the grove with the trees unscathed.
From the United Nations' Faith for Earth newsletter: "The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) launched the Assessment Report on the Diverse Values and Valuation of Nature , highlighting the need for a revaluation of nature.
"The assessment sought to understand and articulate the role of values in driving protection for biodiversity. The report finds that there are a number of deeply held values that can be aligned with sustainability, emphasizing principles like unity, responsibility, stewardship and justice, both towards other people and towards nature."
From Canary Media: "The U.S. Postal Service is boosting its electric-vehicle ambitions yet again, after initial plans to replace the nation’s aging mail fleet with mostly gas-powered trucks drew public backlash and legal challenges. ... the Postal Service said it expects to electrify at least 40 percent of its new delivery fleet, up from its original pledge of 10 percent."
Carbon capture needed, say experts
From the Washington Post's The Climate 202 newsletter: "On July 20, the Department of Energy hosted the Carbon Negative Shot Summit, where the agency explored low-cost, clean and innovative ways to store huge amounts of carbon as the nation tries to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
"Energy has roughly $6 billion to use from the bipartisan infrastructure law to invest in carbon removal technology. But with the clock ticking on global warming, there's a lot of research and development the agency must do before it can bring the newborn industry to scale in an equitable way.
"And although some environmentalists have criticized carbon capture as being ineffective, the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change made clear that simply reaching net-zero emissions would not be enough to avert the catastrophic warming that the planet is hurtling toward. Instead, the authors wrote that carbon removal technology is crucial for pulling legacy pollution out of the air and reversing some of the effects of climate change.
"As for the current state of carbon removal infrastructure, bipartisan leaders can agree that the space is burgeoning — it just needs to be tapped into quickly and responsibly."
Is "carbon capture" an environmental issue where you and your church are?
Share your climate views with Congress
From ecumenical Creation Justice Ministries: "Congress wants to hear from you as they continue to shape the Environmental Justice for All Act of 2021 (EJ4All)! The Natural Resources Committee is currently taking comments to hear how you and your community have been impacted by environmental injustice. From polluted air and water to rising sea levels to health consequences, Congress needs to hear your experiences as they continue to shape this landmark legislation. Share Now!"
Media Mentions as of July 21, 2022
Teens charged after United Methodist Church leader is killed – AP News
OhioHealth Supports Hospitals in Ukraine Through United Methodist Committee on Relief – OhioHealth Newsroom
Ministry can be created from hope | Farm Life | agupdate.com – AgUpdate
Why are United Methodists at war? Readers need to know that sexuality isn't the only fault line – GetReligion
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Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011. This column is part of Insight's continuing coverage of the global climate crisis from religious perspectives as a member of the international collaboration of Covering Climate Now. To reproduce this content elsewhere, please contact Insight for permission.