As the planet gets warmer, are Canadian cities ready to face the heat?
Rising temperatures pose a threat to people's health — and even their lives
Originally published on August 28, 2020.
If you think this summer has been hotter than usual, it's not just in your head.
David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, estimates that Eastern Canada has had three times as many days reaching 30 C and hotter this year compared to the average summer.
These rising temperatures may leave most of us sweating, but for others, especially those in poorer neighbourhoods, it can pose a danger to their health and even their lives.
This week, What on Earth looks at heat, a deadly weather disaster that is often overlooked.
Host Laura Lynch talks to Scott Krayenhoff, an assistant professor in the school of environmental sciences at the University of Guelph, about creating models to project how hot our cities will get in the future, and why population and density growth are important factors.
Lynch also talks to Sarah Henderson, a senior scientist with the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, who explains that socioeconomic status and access to green space are big factors in whether you might die in a heat wave.
