We know how to handle snow here. Like cranberries and cod, snow is part of the brand. But can we New Englanders be as resilient to extreme heat?
When winter arrives and the first snowstorm hits, we’ll know exactly what to do. Press conferences from politicians in fleece vests, updates from overexcited weather reporters, and warnings on TV will put us on high alert. We’ll stock up on ice melt and sliced bread as if the world is ending. We’ll dust off our boots and dig out our shovels. We’ll stay warm, check on neighbors at risk, and add more time to our commutes.
We have done that. Can we now do the same during heatwaves?
In case you haven’t noticed, Massachusetts is getting warmer. We’ve already seen plenty of 90-degree days here, and thanks to climate change, we’re going to see a lot more of them. As my colleague Sabrina Shankman has pointed out, even in the best-case scenario, Boston summers won’t be as warm as Baltimore before this century. And if we don’t get our emissions under control, we’ll be like Memphis. Brian Swett, Boston’s very aptly named chief climate officer, says we could have as many as 90 90-degree days every summer by 2070.
We are not designed for this. We are literally not designed for this.
Our old buildings are designed to store heat, not to dissipate it. We have good heating, but relatively few homes and schools have air conditioning. Our roofs, roads, and transportation systems make us even more uncomfortable on hot days. We have laws and regulations that protect the most vulnerable among us from extreme cold, but not from sweltering heat. And we don’t yet have the same “everybody’s game” attitude to heat waves that we have to snowstorms.
“Boston’s first snowstorm is like riding a bicycle,” Swett said. “We’re just beginning to develop that mindset in extreme heat.”
Boston is on its way there. The city is pushing developers to build heat-resistant buildings and encouraging the use of materials that reflect the sun and provide more shade. In the short term, the city has made hot weather infrastructure like cooling centers, splash pools and mist tents necessities rather than creating aesthetic features. In the longer term, the city needs more Trees, bright roofs and less asphalt.
Extreme weather hits us unevenly, hitting the old, the very young, and the unluckiest among us the hardest. We have programs to protect these people in winter: Heating subsidies for low-income earners help with heating costs, but the already oversubscribed program in Massachusetts offers little help with air conditioning use. Utilities aren’t allowed to shut off power during the cold months if a customer is behind on payments, but we need a moratorium on shutoffs during the hottest months too. The state has rules that require a minimum temperature threshold for habitability in the cold months, but no maximum temperature that would require landlords to keep their properties cool in the summer.
“During heat waves, air conditioning is not a luxury,” says Sasha Shyduroff, a senior planner on the clean energy team at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. “It can really be a lifesaver.”
Many workers need extra protection in extreme heat, but “many employers don’t take the danger of heat seriously,” says Rick Rabin, lead trainer at the Massachusetts Coalition of Occupational Safety and Health. People who work outside need shade and water breaks in the heat. Sometimes it’s too hot to work at all. Many of these workers are immigrants who work in construction, landscaping or kitchens, and they’re afraid to speak up for themselves, Rubin says.
Much of this depends on public awareness. Right now, we have a patchwork of protections, with forward-thinking municipalities and various state agencies tackling the worsening heat crisis piecemeal. The state is moving toward a more unified approach on several fronts. A wide-ranging plan called ResilientMass, for example, is designed to formalize our response to all types of extreme weather events, including heat. It will include a heat flag system that will activate on hot days to warn residents about how heat can harm them and show them how to protect themselves and their neighbors.
We all have a role to play here. Let’s pick up the pace. It’s getting hotter.
Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham can be reached at [email protected].
