Air conditioning, once a luxury, is now a matter of survival. As heat waves get longer, breaking record temperatures across the U.S. and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses.
Ben Gallegos at home with his dog Coca Smiles as the daytime high temperature soars toward triple digits on July 27 in Denver.DENVER — As Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
“To explain it fairly simply: Heat kills,” said Kristie Ebi, a University of Washington professor who researches heat and health. “Once the heat wave starts, mortality starts in about 24 hours.” So the 45-year-old wets her hair, cooks outside on a propane grill and keeps the lights off indoors. She’s taken the bus to the library to cool off. At night she flips the box unit on, hauling her bed into the room where it’s located to sleep.
“So people are engaging in coping mechanisms, like they’re turning on their air conditioners later and leaving their homes hotter,” Graff said.Denver's wealthy Country Club neighborhood on July 24.While frigid temperatures and high heating bills birthed the term “heat or eat,” she said, “we can now transition to AC or eat, where people are going to have to make difficult decisions.”
At noon on Friday, Katrice Sullivan sat on the porch of her rented house on Detroit’s westside. It was hot and muggy, but even steamier inside the house. Even if she had air conditioning, Sullivan said she’d choose her moments to run it to keep her electricity bill down. In the federal Inflation Reduction Act, billions were set aside for tax credits and rebates to help families install energy-efficient cooling systems, but some of those are yet to be available. For people like Gallegos, who doesn’t pay taxes, the available credits are worthless.
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Record heat waves illuminate plight of poorest Americans who suffer without air conditioningAs climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses
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Record heat waves illuminate plight of poorest Americans who suffer without air conditioningAs Denver neared triple-digit temperatures, Ben Gallegos sat shirtless on his porch swatting flies off his legs and spritzing himself with a misting fan to try to get through the heat. Gallegos, like many in the nation’s poorest neighborhoods, doesn’t have air conditioning.
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Record heat waves illuminate plight of poorest Americans who suffer without air conditioningAs climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses.
Baca lebih lajut »
Record heat waves illuminate plight of poorest Americans who suffer without air conditioningAs climate change fans hotter and longer heat waves, breaking record temperatures and leaving dozens dead, the poorest Americans suffer the hottest days with the fewest defenses.
Baca lebih lajut »
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