Deadly heatwaves are the new reality – we need to transform the UK’s cities and towns to survive them | Hannah Martin

R.Here is a lot of anxiety as a new parent, not to mention a heat wave when he reads the heat scale in your 26 ° C daughter’s room. This is the highest degrees of the upper limit of The recommended temperature For the child’s room. After passing my phone for advice on how to cool her room, I couldn’t help wake up every few hours to check that she is fine to monitor the child.

In the United Kingdom, we are not ready at every level of the harsh weather caused by climate collapse. Whether it is the inaccurate hot buildings in the summer, our wet and cold homes (some of the labels in Europe) are full of mold in the winter, or our unprotected cities based on flood plains, or the inappropriate train paths that closed them at the slightest weather warning, the climate crisis has already caused the general deviation and special science-it is just getting worse.

Although heat waves have become more common in the UK, the extreme heat risks are not well known. Heat waves are often described as “Silent killers– The elderly and weakness are at risk of death on their own and in their homes. At the present time, Private government advisers say Thermal deaths can rise several times to over 10,000 a year on average by 2050 without procedure. Weak groups such as disabled, elderly and children are at risk of severe heat. But low -wage workers and those who were forced to work abroad are also at risk. Take an example Spanish street sweeping Who died last week in Barcelona after working hours at today’s temperature, or Building worker David Azifido Who died in France in 2022.

The main solution provided to us is air conditioning – but it increases the effects of climate and severe heat for all by pumping hot air into the streets with huge amounts of energy. Air adaptation can actually Raise the temperature From cities in more than 2c, and found that refrigeration measures It represents an estimated 37 % From the increase in electricity demand in the United States during September to September 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year.

Instead of jumping to this only solution, we need to embrace low -carbon process solutions such as increasing tree cover and green spaces in our cities, and use The shade it provides to release water vapor in the air Improving air quality. The government can invest in water cooling methods such as Sustainable fountains, splash platforms and spray parksProtecting water bodies such as channels, and continue to implement measures to reduce the use of cars – while giving priority to air conditioning for places that need most hospitals, care, public transport and custody houses.

The redesign of our cities and towns in this way can be transformative. For example, Barcelona has more prosperous network than 400 free shelters Which provides a shelter of the loud summer heat and cold in the winter. And in Singapore, Open spaces around buildings In addition to the extension of green spaces and the implementation of other measures such as using lighter colors on surfaces and walls.

House owners must be supported, and the angel is noted to reduce the internal heat in homes. Councils and governments must upgrade social infrastructure, including hospitals and elderly care homes, with insulation, reflective surfaces and good ventilation to avoid them from high temperature. We can also start exploring the use of walls and green surfaces, as well as external shading through trees, umbrellas, external curtains, and shifts. Investment in these measures can be supported through a more fair tax system, to ensure that polluted companies and those who have a strong wealth to help address these issues.

Not only is the rules of organization and construction that must be changed – we need to ensure that workers’ rights are at the heart of adaptation planning as well. While there are low temperature limits acceptable to workplaces, there are yet no legal legal limits for the extent of the office or the factory. This must be changed to ensure workers’ protection and investment owners invest in heat insulation. the TukAmong other trade union bodies, he wants to see a maximum legal temperature of the internal work of 30 ° C (27 ° C for those who do hard work). There must also be a legal duty for employers to protect those who work abroad by providing sun and water protection, and organizing work in order not to be out during the hotter part of the day.

Local authorities can help the public make reasonable decisions by providing timely information about heat warnings. NHS must do more to alert vulnerable people with heart and respiratory conditions of risk, as death rates caused by heat begin to climb at much lower temperatures than we expect.

Since we explain these necessary and fair adjustments to the world of warming, we should not forget that there is still an ethical state to reduce our emissions. Each degree of warming makes a difference in the total effect on our planet and humanity in general – and dealing with a discussion of adaptation with either/or mental is the loss on both fronts. It is difficult, but the truth is that we should not only accept the path we face as if we had no ability to change the path. We must double our efforts to push our political leaders to reduce our emissions significantly in a fair way, as well as investing in the flexibility of societies to ensure our ability to live well as temperatures continue to rise. There is still time.