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Friday 28 July 2023
Biden looks to provide relief from extreme heat as record high

temperatures persist across the US

Continued from Front heat. More than 100 mem-
bers of Congress, led by
Noting that ocean temper- Democratic Reps. Greg
atures near Miami topped Casar and Sylvia Garcia
100 F (38 C), Biden said of Texas and Judy Chu of
“that’s more like jumping in California have called on
a hot tub than jumping into the administration to imple-
the ocean to ride a wave.’’ ment the new heat stand-
Citing federal data, Biden ard for outdoor workers as
called extreme heat the quickly as possible.
No. 1 weather-related killer “We know extreme weath-
in the United States. er events such as heat
“Even those places that waves are becoming
are used to extreme heat more frequent and more
have never seen it as hot dangerous due to climate
as it is now for as long as it’s change,” the lawmakers
been,’’ Biden said. “Even wrote in a letter Monday.
those who deny that we’re U”rgent action is needed
in the midst of a climate cri- to prevent more deaths,”
sis can’t deny the impact With Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team in the background, a digital the lawmakers wrote in a
of extreme heat is having billboard updates the time and temperature as temperatures are expected to hit 116-degrees letter Monday.
on Americans.’’ July 18, 2023, in Phoenix. The United Farm Work-
Biden’s bid to address the Associated Press ers and other groups also
immediate effects of cli- day by acting Labor Sec- ed recently that there were how workplaces deal with called on OSHA to imme-
mate change come as he retary Julie Su, as well as 25 heat-associated deaths heat. The proposed rule by diately issue a nationwide
faces pressure from fellow the leaders of the Federal between April 11 and the Occupational Safety rule protecting outdoor
Democrats and environ- Emergency Management July 22. An additional 249 and Health Administration workers after farm worker
mental groups to declare Agency and the National deaths remain under in- would require employers to deaths this month in Florida
a climate “emergency,’’ a Oceanic and Atmospheric vestigation. There were 425 provide adequate water and Arizona.
step he has so far resisted. Administration. The mayors heat-associated deaths in and rest breaks to outdoor “Farm workers need and
The steps announced Thurs- of Phoenix and San Anto- the county last year. workers, as well as medical deserve the access to
day supplement his long- nio, two cities that have suf- Other areas of Arizona are services and training to ad- shade, water and paid
term agenda for reducing fered from the heat waves, also struggling. A 26-year- dress signs and symptoms breaks,’’ said UFW Presi-
greenhouse gas emissions participated in the White old farmworker died after of heat-related illness. That dent Teresa Romero. “How
and deploying clean en- House event virtually. collapsing in the fields on agency s holding meetings many more workers will we
ergy technology, policies “Phoenix is known for heat,” July 20, when the high tem- this summer to hear com- let dangerous heat and
that may not pay dividends said Mayor Kate Gallego. perature reached 116 F ments on how the heat callous employers kill be-
for years to come while glo- “We are often called the (46.7 C), according to the standard would affect fore this nation acts?”
bal temperatures continue Valley of the Sun. But right Yuma County Sheriff’s Of- small businesses. Casar, a freshman law-
to rise. now, this summer has re- fice. To keep low-income popu- maker from Austin, staged
Biden directed the Labor ally been unprecedented. San Antonio, Texas, saw at lations cool, the Depart- a “thirst strike” on Tuesday
Department to increase It’s taking a real toll on our least 15 straight days of 100- ment of Health and Human outside the U.S. Capitol,
inspections of potentially community. We feel like we plus F (38-plus C) tempera- Services expanded its Low forgoing water breaks for
dangerous workplaces are very much on the front tures. At least 13 deaths in Income Home Energy As- nearly nine hours, to pro-
such as farms and con- lines of climate change.’’ Texas have been blamed sistance Program to pro- test a new Texas law that
struction sites and called Phoenix is the first in the on the extreme heat. vide more access to air bans local governments
for heightened enforce- nation to have a perma- San Antonio Mayor Ron conditioning and cooling from requiring water breaks
ment of heat safety viola- nent, publicly funded heat Nirenberg said his city has centers such as libraries, and other safety measures
tions. office, Gallego said, with moved to end the use of senior centers or other pub- for outdoor workers. Casar
As part of the initiative, the efforts now focused on coal and is launching its first lic buildings. The Environ- called the law “insane”
department will issue a haz- getting residents inside as advanced rapid transit line, mental Protection Agency and accused Republican
ard alert notifying employ- much as possible, at pub- which will feature low- or also has provided assist- Gov. Greg Abbott of being
ers and employees about lic cooling centers and en- zero-emission vehicles. The ance to help communities “on the wrong side of his-
ways to stay protected couraging use of water sta- city is also developing solar develop cooling centers tory.” Republican lawmak-
from extreme heat, which tions throughout the city. power and other renew- within schools. ers and other supporters of
has killed 436 workers since Phoenix has seen at least able energy, he said. NOAA has been helping the law say it eliminates a
2011, according to federal 27 days in a row of tem- “I’m confident that the cities and towns map “heat patchwork of local regula-
statistics. peratures exceeding 110 state best known for oil and islands” with dense build- tions that are burdensome
The Biden administration F (43.3 C). No other major gas production can help ings and fewer trees, and to businesses, and they say
plans to spend $7 million city — defined as the 25 lead the way to a greener the Department of Agricul- it won’t stop workers from
to develop more detailed most populous in the Unit- tomorrow,’’ he said. ture issued guidance for taking breaks.
weather predictions to an- ed States — has had any Thursday’s announcement creating more tree canopy Ladd Keith, an assistant
ticipate extreme weather stretch of 110 F (38 C) days follows other steps that the coverage, which helps with professor at the University
like heat waves, plus $152 or 90-degree (32 C) nights Biden administration has cooling environments. of Arizona who studies heat
million to boost drinking longer than Phoenix, said taken to adapt to increas- In addition, the administra- policy and governance,
water infrastructure and weather historian Christo- ing threats from extreme tion launched a website said the record-breaking
climate resilience in Califor- pher Burt, of the Weather heat. Among those it is called heat.gov with inter- heat much of the nation is
nia, Colorado and Wash- Company. highlighting: active maps, weather fore- experiencing “is very much
ington. Maricopa County, where The Labor Department is casts and tips for keeping in line with climate change
Biden was joined on Thurs- Phoenix is located, report- developing a standard for cool amid record-breaking projections.”q