How America’s Hottest City is Innovating to Survive | Weathered

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Perhaps no place in the United States more clearly illustrates the dangers of global warming than Phoenix, Arizona. 2020 was their hottest year on record, with 53 days reaching at least 110 degrees F. And heat-related deaths there have more than doubled over the last 5 years. But while these trends are truly disturbing, there is hope. Because of its extreme circumstances, Phoenix has been forced to explore innovative solutions and is learning how to adapt urban life to hotter and hotter temperatures.

In this episode of Weathered, we delve into the latest science of the “urban heat island” effect, learn about the looming threat of a potential “Katina-like event” that threatens their electrical grid, and explore the gamut of options being pursued by scientists and activists to make life safer and more livable in America’s hottest city.

Weathered is a show hosted by meteorologist Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare.

#ExtremeHeat #ClimateChange #Phoenix

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[michelebriere]

Parks and green places sound good, but Lake Mead is at 37%. People are using the Colorado to drown lawns to keep them green. Keeping the desert green is not good. Get rid of non-desert plants, plant natural desert plants.

[Ed-uzem]

A desert should never be treated like a anything other than a desert…history has shown nature always wins.

[smoothjazzfails]

Lawns shouldn’t be a solution to cool your environment. Lawns require alot of water, and isn’t ideal in a desert environment. Instead, grow more native drought tolerate plants.

[thecrystalperson]

This is a great introduction to heat related sustainability issues. However, grass lawns are a terrible idea in Arizona. There are plenty of native species that use less water and provide the same cooling effect. Desert landscaping is foreign in other states but in Arizona it's essential because we cannot afford to waste water...and lawns here use a lot more water to maintain.

[whiterabbit]

As someone who lives in Phoenix, I feel a strong desire to move to somewhere cooler

[PotteryLife]

8:25 Where is the roof-top solar? Every single building in the desert SW should be making power.

[farisasmith]

These cities really need to consult with experts in permaculture so they don't just plant random trees. There are trees and plants that are drought tolerant and don't require large amounts of water. Also, where you plant, how many you plant and what types of trees you plant are very important. They need to stop thinking of just aesthetics and think long term effects on neighborhoods.

[meneither]

Phoenix has the same climate as places like Cairo, Baghdad or Riyadh. Essentially the Saharan and Arabian deserts.

[SwirlingDragonMist]

A key insight that is rarely mentioned, is that plants are heat reflective. This is primarily why vegetated areas are cooler. Rewilding abandoned properties into small parks may be a helpful heat mitigation strategy for urban environments.

[KatharineOsborne]

Here in Britain it’s illegal for utilities to shut off services due to lack of payment. It should be illegal all around the world because access to basic resources that keep you alive should be a right not a privilege.

[平和-vz]

Shame on that energy supplier for letting a poor woman die just because she didn't had that $1.
Inhumane...

[kevsan]

I live in Mesa Arizona and the amount of parking spots we have for the less amount of cars we have is insane. It makes our cities not only ugly, but hotter as well. It low key sucks here during the summer.

[mikey_gc]

Phoenix native here. In my short lifespan I have witnessed less monsoon seasons and more devastating summers as time progresses. This brings me to an Arizona State University pole that states roughly 30% of participants say their housing situation grew less secure during the pandemic. Unfortunately, this supports the reality that a heat wave disaster is eminent and many people will not even have adequate housing for protection. Upgrading the grid is just one step over this staggering mountain we must climb to survive the effects of global climate change. Wish us luck.

[masterchief]

Turf is a great compromise. I switched all grass front and back yard to turf and it does make a big difference. No water needed, it looks great year round and it cools down my back yard :) Love Arizona.. heat and all.

[yourlordship]

Painting roads and roofs white or a light color, really help with trapped heat. Also, promoting the growth of native plants and trees.
In my city, nearly everyone has trees and plants (native trees come free with any new house), rare to see a bare yard here, it really does do a lot, providing animals with habitat and food while giving people shade and cooling the general area.

[rodmalone]

I’ve been to Phoenix, and I love it. As far as the temperature is concerned it’s like when someone is baking a cake in the oven then opening up the oven and you feel the heat when it hits you, that’s how hot it is in Phoenix when you step outside your house to go outside.

[AutismFamilyChannel]

We are the ones trying to inhabit non-inhabitable places. People literally build houses at the bottom of volcanoes, at the far reaches of the arctic, in the middle of flood zones, etc. Yes, these places are beautiful or have great resource extraction opportunities, but let's not kid ourselves, some places we are "pilgrims in an unholy land." Phoenix was really a winter retreat but modern technology prolonged that stay to year round, but now people are starting to pay a heavy price.

[doconfriends]

PBS is the only channel on TV that has great shows....thank you PBS :)

[Manwhoassociateshimselfwithbat]

In El Paso the summer heats could reach anywhere between 103°f-115°f and it’s only getting hotter and hotter, so I could only imagine how bad the heat truly is in Phoenix.

[Beryllahawk]

Living in the southern US (south Mississippi!) - we have had folks die even if they didn't lose power, because they were too poor to have even a window unit type AC. We don't generally get power outages from an overload of the grid - from storm damage yes, but not brownouts like Phoenix or NYC has had. But, enough folks have died from heat that there's a program in rural areas to help get people small window unit ACs, and also folks will help create "swamp coolers" (big thing of ice and a fan, it doesn't last long but it can help). In some places, churches open their doors and let folks stay in the building, too.
I have family in south Arizona, kind of near the border, and every summer I get a little worried for them because it's just SO hot, and they're in a relatively rural area. But my aunt is super smart and has a lot of native plants all around her place, she has other nifty things like fans that can be run without power, and she tends to keep to a schedule that lets her move around in the early morning and later in the evening so she can avoid the worst heat of day, taking a siesta. But she's a lucky one, she has the financial stability to do those things. It is appalling that the city officials cannot do more for those folks without shelter than a completely unshaded parking lot. And yet - water is not a limitless resource out there and trees are very, very thirsty critters for the most part. Getting shade that way presents its own share of problems.
I hope that science and determination will quickly find ways to help more, because like you said - it's only going to get warmer.