this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2023

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60,000 People Died from Blistering European Heat Waves, New Analysis Finds (www.scientificamerican.com)

submitted 1 year ago by RickRussell_CA@beehaw.org to c/science@beehaw.org

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Excerpt:

More than 61,000 people died because of Europe’s record-shattering heat wave last summer, scientists have concluded. And that’s probably still an underestimation.

The figure is just shy of the 70,000 excess deaths researchers attribute to another exceptional heat wave that swept Europe in 2003. That disaster helped raise awareness about the dangers of climate change and the continent’s general lack of heat action plans.

Yet the new findings suggest that in the two decades since, efforts to prepare for a hotter future and protect the continent’s most vulnerable populations have fallen short.

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[–] GhostOnTheHalfShell@fedia.io 11 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The top priority should be remaking housing so it doesn't require power to keep up comfortable (and everything else so we don't need power to enjoy it).

Iran has had this knowledge for over 1000 years. Termites longer. It's utter insanity not to do this. We imagine we live in a fast changing high tech civilization but our 'solutions' are to pretend renewables will let us carry on like before. Rural folk in Bangladesh have adapted to seasonal flooding by taking to living on boats for part of the year, their gardens on them providing shade under the vines. They've already adapted. The West, not so much.

[–] shanghaibebop@beehaw.org 7 points 1 year ago

The price for adopting these types of construction in urban environments can be quite steep, especially if you’re trying to retrofit concrete buildings with new ventilation.

[–] fuser@quex.cc 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

https://unusualplaces.org/the-underground-town-of-coober-pedy/

A standard three-bedroom cave home with living room, kitchen, and bathroom can be excavated out of the rock in the hillside for a similar price to building a house on the surface. However, dugouts remain at a constant temperature, while surface buildings need expensive air-conditioning.

[–] Adramis@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This would be so cool, but it seems like it would only be possible in some places. Pretty much my entire state wouldn't be able to do this due to a combination of limestone letting water through and ungodly amounts of radon.

Also the no-sun depression would be absolute hell unless special attention was paid to it.

[–] yenahmik@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Earthship homes are also an alternative that are pretty decent at remaining a stable temperature. Plus, I think they look pretty cool!

[–] realChem@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago

There's also a lot that you can do within the bounds of more traditional architecture to control heat movement, and which are easy to retrofit onto existing homes. For example, there's the extremely rad sounding thermal labyrinth, and also lots of things without rad names like planting trees where they'll shade your building or painting your roof white. It's frankly kinda astonishing how much you can reduce your heating and cooling requirements with simple and (relatively) low cost changes like those.

[–] RickRussell_CA@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

Are you @GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai ?

If so, I've been following you on Mastodon for awhile.

[–] argv_minus_one@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Tens of thousands of people died during intense heat waves in Europe last summer, indicating that heat prevention plans aren’t protecting vulnerable populations

I can't help wondering if that's intentional. Vulnerable populations tend to consist of people that the rich consider undesirable…

[–] alyaza@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I can’t help wondering if that’s intentional.

i don't think so, no. the reason i think that is the people who study this stuff for a living are being taken aback at how quickly things are changing--and if they're surprised, it's inevitable breakdowns like this will happen because everyone else is moving slower than them.

just in general, most places are woefully underprepared for a changing climate, and a lot of it is not caused by malice somewhere in the chain. it's largely a combination of conservatism (both political and climatological), lack of political will, lack of resources, and just how quickly things are changing.

[–] reric88@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago

It's an unpopular opinion, but I wish the world would share with the world. It's a lot to ask I guess, but man, imagine how quickly we could progress as a species if everyone in the world truly had the same chance at life.

I'd pay for my neighbors bills if I knew I'd have my bills paid for when I absolutely needed it.

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