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The Biden administration announced an inter-ministerial plan on Monday morning to address the effects of the frequent extreme heat waves caused by global warming.
Extreme heat is now the major weather-related killer in the United States, making it more common and serious. This summer, it is 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the historical average. Warmest on record In the continental United States.
“I’ve seen graphics and tragic images of superstorms, wildfires, and floods over the last few weeks, but another climatic disaster lurks just below the radar. It’s extremely hot,” said President Byden. Said in a statement.. “Like any other meteorological event, climate change causes frequent extreme heat, which is rampant and threatens communities across the country …. My administration threatens Americans with this threat. You won’t face it alone. “
According to the fact sheet distributed by the White House, the administration’s plans have four main components.
Limit workplace exposure. The Ministry of Labor has developed regulations and processes to set and enforce regulations that limit extreme heat exposure of outdoor workers in industries such as agriculture, construction and delivery, and indoor workers, including factory, warehouse and kitchen staff. increase.
Helps the family cool down. The Department of Health and Human Services gives states, tribes, and territories the flexibility to use funds already designated to support heating costs for low-income households and instead divert those funds to air conditioning. We have issued guidance. The Environmental Protection Agency is developing a cooling center for public schools using funding from the US Relief Program (COVID-19 Relief and Economic Stimulation Package passed in March).
Advise local efforts to combat the “urban heat island effect”. Urban streets and buildings tend to exacerbate extreme heat, which has a disproportionate effect on black and Latino regions.According to recently EPA report An analysis of 49 cities found that “black and African-American individuals are 40-59% more likely to currently live in higher-impact areas than non-black and non-African-American individuals.” … apparently …The administration wants states and cities to use that data and is proposing new tools Forestry Bureau Report Reduce the severity of the urban heat island, including tree planting and other natural greening and cooling approaches.
Call all professionals. The National Integrated Heat and Health Information System, an inter-ministerial group organized by the White House, monitors and shares data on extreme heat and holds an April meeting to come up with better measures to address it. To do. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has launched a prize contest seeking ideas for adapting to climate change. Its first contest focuses on extreme heat.
With the exception of new tree planting, all of these movements address only some of the symptoms of climate change, not the main cause of increased atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping gases.
The White House also argues that Congress should pass the rest of the president’s national agenda. This includes not only adaptation to climate change, but also various proposals aimed at reducing climate change by shifting the country from fossil fuel reliance to clean energy sources. The sun, the wind, etc.
However, Republicans are strongly opposed to most of White House’s priorities, and moderate Democratic senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are opposed to the party’s budget price tag, resulting in Biden’s larger climate. It is unclear how much the agenda will be enacted.
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