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The North American heatwave

The North American heatwave

The Climate Question vor 5 Jahren

Extreme heat is rarely viewed as a natural disaster. Why?

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27:18

The heatwave that hit parts of the west coast of North America
shattered records by several degrees. It affected parts of the
United States and Canada that were unused to extreme heat.
Hundreds of people died and emergency teams were pushed to their
limits. In Lytton, Canada, temperatures reached 49.6 degrees
celsius. Days later, the entire village burnt down.

Scientists say that climate change had made this heatwave 150
times more likely. They also warn that, if global warming
continues, about one-third of the world’s population will become
threatened by extreme heat.

So does our attitude to extreme heat need to change?

Joining presenters Neal Razzell and Manuela Saragosa:

Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham
Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment Dr
Lipika Nanda, vice president, multisectoral planning in public
health, Public Health Foundation of India Dr Christienne
Alexander, president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians
Daniel Stevens, director, Vancouver Emergency Management Agency
Dallas Gonsalves, centre manager for Gathering Place Community
Centre Martin Paulson, operations chief of the Vancouver Fire
Department. Producer: Darin Graham Series producer: Rosamund
Jones Editor: Emma Rippon Sound engineer: Tom Brignell