heat deaths
Newsletter
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Heated policies: contrasting worker protections in California and Florida
California and Florida, both dealing with rising heat-related deaths, have adopted opposing approaches to worker heat protections, reflecting broader political divides.
In short:
- California mandates water and air-conditioned areas for workers in temperatures over 82°F, with additional measures at 87°F.
- Florida prohibits local governments from requiring employers to provide heat protections, leaving it to employers to decide.
- The federal OSHA proposed heat regulations, but they may not be finalized until 2026 and could face challenges.
Key quote:
“You can look at safety standards in each state, whether it’s heat standards or others, and it’ll track with how union-dense those states are.”
— Lorena Gonzalez, head of the California Labor Federation
Why this matters:
Heat-related deaths are climbing due to climate change, highlighting the need for robust worker protections. How should the U.S. balance economic freedoms with the imperative to safeguard public health in the face of a warming planet? As heat waves become more frequent and severe, this question will only grow more urgent, demanding thoughtful and decisive action from policymakers across the spectrum.
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Newsletter
Photo by Meiying Ng on Unsplash
Parts of the world have already grown too hot for human survival
Even more areas will face such conditions as the planet continues to warm.
Newsletter
U.K. heat waves linked to record excess deaths among elderly in England
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How ‘heat officers’ plan to help cities survive ever-hotter summers
Heat-focused officials in these four cities are rolling out warning systems and drawing up green designs to create more heat-resistant metropolises.
More tree canopy can stop climate change from killing vulnerable Americans
A small, willfully misunderstood earmark in the Build Back Better Act is in fact a response to a mortal threat.
Photo by Hugo Matilla on Unsplash
In a warming world, deforestation turns the heat deadly, Borneo study finds
New research identifies how rising localized temperatures driven by deforestation and global warming are increasing heat-related deaths and creating unsafe working conditions in Indonesia.
Who died in BC’s heat dome?
People who were older, living with mental illness and substance use issues, or in poorer neighbourhoods with less green space and trees.
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