I savored reading Jeff Goodell’s “The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet.” He gives the reader a complete picture of global warming through the stories of individuals. The chapters cover all aspects of the impact on our lives and the environment of rising global temperatures. This includes the following chapters:
- how humans evolved to handle the heat
- increased deaths due to heat stroke
- cities becoming urban heat islands
- animals moving north and south toward cooler temperatures
- heat waves and the basic physics of heat and temperatures
- declining agricultural production
- hotter oceans
- outdoor workers’ deaths
- the melting West Antarctic ice shelf
- mosquitos spreading disease
- impact of air conditioning
- the value of trees and white streets
This might be the story of my lifetime. I’ve been ahead of the curve regarding awareness of what a warming planet will have on our lives. I finally feel the majority of people are realizing how much our lives will possibly be diminished. One of the challenges of humanity getting its act together and reducing the amount of CO2 we are putting into the environment is that it is a slow-moving phenomenon and it doesn’t sound drastic enough. A rise in the average global temperature of 1 to 4 degrees Celcius doesn’t sound all that menacing. However, the impact of that, although not existential for humanity, will make our lives less pleasurable and rich. Society has been putting CO2 in the atmosphere since before I was born and global warming started when I was a child. However, in my over 50 years on the planet, I’ve seen how there is less snow, less precipitation, warmer winters, and summers, and more natural disasters (hurricanes, drought, flooding, etc.) over my lifetime. I wonder if this process will speed up in my later years if I am still alive. Currently, humanity is more than halfway to 3.6 degrees C increase, at 2 degrees C increase. And that temperature is locked in for years until CO2 dissipates.
Goodell’s chapter on tree planting to combat climate change really helped my thinking on the power of trees. As a school leader, I’ve always planted trees on campus and made a big deal about it with the students. I liked the symbolism of delayed gratification, future thinking, schools planting the seed, and the fruits being the student’s path to adulthood, etc. I am now adding that the planting of trees is important for cooling the planet. Cities can be urban heat islands and trees can reduce temperatures greatly. They also provide shade for plants and wildlife. I also think trees calm children and adults, improving mental health. Goodell refers to a study in the city of Portland. Rich neighborhoods with trees are 25 degrees F cooler than poorer neighborhoods without trees.
Heat waves will be more common in the years to come and I want to understand them better. The military developed a more accurate measure of heat stress than heat index. The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). It takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. Goodell used the example of a day in his residence in Austin, Texas. Air temperature of 95 degrees, humidity of 40%, and a light wind. The heat index would be 99, but due to the light cloud cover and relatively low humidity, the WBGT is only 86.4.
UK climate scientist Friederike Otto advises during a heat wave, close windows and draw curtains early in the day to keep out both the sun and heat. Below are some other points that were interesting to me. Overall, a great book that gives a complete and emotional picture of climate change.
- The mathematician and scholar Al-Bīrunī was the first person to divide hours into minutes and seconds. I am amazed at the innovative thinking of ancient Islamic scientists and mathematicians. I wonder why they still are not at the cutting edge of science, mathematics, and technology.
- Heat is the vibration of molecules. Temperature is the average speed of a collection of molecules.
- NASA scientist James Hansen testified before US Congress in 1988 detecting a global warming of 0.4C. He is considered the grandfather of climate science.
- Exxon Mobil is responsible for 3% of historical global CO2 emissions.
- I didn’t know that Anders Celcius originally designed the scale in the opposite order from today, 0C was the boiling point of water and 100C was the freezing point.
- By 2050, the world’s population will be nearly 10 billion. I wonder if that will be the peak of the global population?
- A Cornell University study found global crop production is 21 percent less today due to climate change. I immediately thought of Interstellar.
- If the West Antarctic deglaciates, there will be a 5-meter rise in sea level.
- Mosquito-borne diseases are going to be on the rise as Aedes aegypti spreads north. The ordinary mosquito is from the Culex genus.
- Some tick species are moving as much as 30 miles north each year. Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is spread by the Hyalomma genus ticks. They are predators, not like deer or wood ticks that wait on grass to be picked up by a passerby.
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