Let me open with a question. Do we want vibrant street life and festivals, hallmarks of healthy cities, to survive as global warming turns urban heat islands into frying pans? Who will saunter down streets radiating oppressive heat? Very few,…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | Coronavirus and climate crisis: a crosswalk
by William Rau • • 0 Comments
Parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis are spooky. The surge of COVID patients pushed hospitals to the breaking point in New York and required refrigerated meat trucks to store bodies. It may yet overwhelm hospitals in states…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | The Partially Effective and Safe COVID-19 Drug
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
There is a safe, long-standing drug that is showing success with septic shock, a serious infection that causes our immune systems to go haywire. This is timely because sepsis can be complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the same…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | Heat Wave Denialism: Shooting Craps with Mother Nature
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
Tri-County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which covers Peoria, defines heat waves as relatively inconsequential. History tells us differently: Chicago 1995, 700 dead; France 2003, 15,000 dead; Western Russia 2010, 50,000 dead. Before Tri-County releases its 2020 plan, it could consult…
Heat Waves — In Red & Black | Climate matters
by William Rau • • 0 Comments
In 2004, climate scientists predicted “more intense, more frequent and longer lasting heat waves” this century. In 2008, the 2nd National Climate Assessment projected heat waves in the Midwest every summer by midcentury. Last year, the Union of Concerned Scientists’…