New Leaders to Cope With Extreme Heat
July 31, 2023
Facing an expected prospect of stronger and more frequent heat waves, three US cities have appointed “chief heat officers” to help craft immediate measures to protect public health and longer-term plans to meet a hotter future due to climate change. On the Issues podcast, Jane Gilbert, the first person ever named to such a position, reports on the challenges and responses in Miami-Dade County. As an overarching guide, her community has adopted an Extreme Heat Action Plan that features use of extensive public communication, targeted ways to cool individual homes and shelters equitably, and broader approaches to cooling entire neighborhoods.