Arizona’s Chief Heat Officer
Arizona has become the center of the nation’s 110-degree F days. And it endangers part of the state’s population,
Heat In America —How It Ruins Skiing
The government has decided to stake a stab at addressing the heat problem. It has appointed a heat officer. Dr. Eugene Livar will work for the Arizona Department of Health Services to create a heat preparedness plan. The reason for the appointment is straightforward. Parts of the state, particularly Phoenix, can have three months in a row when daytime temperatures rise to over 100 degrees F. These levels are hazardous unless people can access air conditioning for the entire day. Working outside is particularly dangerous, with few strict regulations stating how long companies can force employees to work under these conditions.
Extreme Danger To Humans
According to PBS, Underscoring the dangers of increasingly hot weather, the toll of heat-associated deaths in Arizona’s most populous county has soared well over 400 after the area’s hottest summer ever recorded. Maricopa County is the hottest metropolitan area in the U.S. and home to Phoenix.
In 2023, it was 110 degrees F or warmer on 54 days. Climate change will make the level worse. There is no easy way to solve the problem in a city growing quickly with a population of five million people. Heat and water management have become critical to local governments.
