Extreme Heat: A Call to Action

In the wake of the hottest July ever documented, the urgency of addressing extreme heat is real. And the alarming reality of climate change is hitting closer than ever to home, as Ventura County recently ranked as the fastest warming county in the contiguous U.S., closely trailed by Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. With extreme heat posing such serious threats to human health and the environment, the time to take action is now to prepare for extreme heat and build resilient communities.

Last week, organizations like the Community Environmental Council (CEC), Gray Panthers Santa Barbara Network, and Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara came together for the inaugural Extreme Heat Forum to address how seniors can prepare for extreme heat and play a more direct role in building a hardy community. More than 100 community members showed up to learn about the work being done, and more importantly, the work that still needs to happen.

Forums like this help raise awareness about the deadly impacts of heat and the insidious nature of heat exposure. Extreme heat disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations like the elderly, houseless, those with serious medical conditions, and those in poverty. Extreme heat already causes more deaths annually than any other climate impact in California, and nationwide. And while our region isn’t as vulnerable as others, the combination of an extreme heat wave and power outages could present a large-scale tragedy here.