Fallout in the BC Heat Dome: Experts warn against becoming an "air-conditioned society" as heat waves heat up

Last summer, the historic heat of British Columbia Hundreds of people who died in the midst of the death died in a sick house. -Suitable for temperatures that have skyrocketed for several days over 30s, B. C. A report by Coroners Service was found this month.

It was hot outside, but hotter inside, with tragic consequences.

Of the 619 heat-related deaths, 98% occurred indoors, a review from coroner services shows.

Only 1% of the victims had an air conditioner that was on at the time.

But a year later, experts say that climate change promotes heat waves, making scientists hotter and more frequent, so residents and policy makers are key to risk. It warns you that you need to think beyond the air conditioner as a solution.

"What I'm worried about is talking about mechanical ventilation as this comprehensive measure for all buildings. If that's the final thing, it's very It's a problem, "said Adam Rysanek, an assistant professor of environmental systems. At the Faculty of Architecture, University of British Columbia.

"We will be completely accustomed to this air-conditioned society," said Lizanek, director of the University's Building Decision Research Group.

Bright surfaces reflect more of the sun's energy, so you'll find another answer as to how buildings and cities are designed, landscaped, and even colored.

Last summer's heat wave was over 70 years old, more than half lived alone. Many lived with chronic illnesses.

Lizanek said it was important to make air conditioning available to such vulnerable people when temperatures were dangerously high.

However, he said that many causes of overheating in buildings are due to design and performance, and focusing on air conditioning ignores proven solutions.

City planners and the construction industry use brightly colored materials for buildings and paved roads, in addition to adding shade to the exterior walls of buildings. He said he needed it.

"At peak heat, most of the cooling demand comes from the solar energy received outside the building. Let's reflect that."

Examiner's review Alex Boston, a member of the board, said that as a result of demographic changes and the way homes and communities are built, there is an increasing "fundamental vulnerability" to dangerous heat in British Colombia and across the country. ..

The number of people over the age of 65 and those living alone is increasing, and both of these characteristics exacerbate the risk during extreme heat, the Simon Fraser University Renewable City Program. Said Boston, Executive Director of.

"In addition, it is the elderly who suffer from chronic illness, and the elderly who have some form of material or social deprivation. "He said.

"It could be income, it's the nature of their home, and the neighborhood they live in may have an inadequate canopy. All these factors together And many of them need to be tackled at the same time. "

Make sure the building is surrounded by trees, create shade, and evaporative cooling. If you don't, you'll "shoot yourself." It's at our feet in terms of the energy load and cooling demands of future buildings, "said Rysanek, who called for" very robust "requirements for vegetation and landscaping to mitigate extreme heat.

Metro Vancouver aims to increase the city canopy to 40% by 2050. This has increased from an average of 32% across the region, but the 2019 report states that existing canopies are declining due to urban development. Specifically, the city of Vancouver's goal is to increase the canopy from 18% to 22%.

Boston said that many measures to improve thermal elasticity, such as the restoration of urban canopies, have significant co-benefits.

Trees and vegetation help reduce the risk of flooding, and nearby parks act as social hubs that can alleviate social isolation and foster a sense of community.

“There are complex issues, and looking at just one isolated component cannot maximize the benefits of solving these issues in an integrated manner,” says Boston.

For example, a Boston organization is working on a project on the North Shore of Vancouver to explore how social welfare businesses can help older singles manage their secondary suites at home. I'm out. From living alone in the extreme heat.

"We have to do a multi-solve," Boston said.

Meanwhile, B. C. 2020 surveys and reports from hydropower and power authorities show that the use of residential air conditioners has more than tripled since 2001.

Many residents spend an average of $ 200 on summer bills for inefficient use of air conditioning units. In addition, nearly one-third of survey respondents set the temperature below 19 ° C. Popular portable units use 10 times more energy than central air conditioning systems and heat pumps.

Globally, the International Energy Agency predicted in 2018 that energy demand from air conditioning would triple by 2050.

Continuing this path will make it harder for governments to reach and mitigate greenhouse gas reduction targets, said Lisa Neck, climate change.

"To exacerbate this problem ... the cost of building development will reduce the bucket in terms of the climate impact we face," he said. ..

B. C. The government needs to encourage non-mechanical cooling options to promote adoption in residential and commercial buildings, he said, taking measures such as natural ventilation, ceiling fans, and radiant cooling built into floors and ceilings. I pointed out. Air conditioner.

"We need to encourage policy makers to understand that there is a big world of choice. British Columbia may not have a supplier yet, It's a great opportunity for business, "says Lizanek.

Companies around the world are deploying these cooling alternatives in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, "inviting them here to learn these things as the general public and as consumers. need to do it". He said.

The coroner's report calls for BC. Make sure that the Building Standards Act of 2024 incorporates passive and active cooling requirements for new homes and cooling standards for remodeling existing homes, and that it will be included in the regional growth strategy and formal community planning. Make sure that the "Climate Change Lens" is adopted.

It is also recommended that the state consider how to issue a cooling device as a medical device with the highest risk of dying from extreme heat.

Public Security Minister Mike Fernworth said the government would review the report and "take necessary steps to prevent heat-related deaths in the future."

It is difficult to predict the frequency in BC. Rachel White, an assistant professor at the Department of Global and Oceanic Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia, said last summer's highs could repeat, but climate change has increased the frequency and magnitude of extreme heat. No doubt, he said.

"In the future, when a normal heat wave occurs, it will be hotter than before," she said.

A heat dome is a high-pressure area that settles in place as the temperature drops, White explained.

She said these areas can become "quasi-steady" depending on factors such as the strength of the winds that circulate high in the atmosphere.

Last year, as the heat dome covered BC, its effects were amplified by already drought soil, evaporating on long sunny summer days to help cool the land. She said it was in short supply.

White warned that the Earth's "atmosphere is not in equilibrium." "And the longer we continue to emit these greenhouse gases, the warmer we will be."

"It will be scary in 40 or 50 years." If you don't want to be, you need to act now. "

1. B. C. One year after the "heat dome" was killed, it may not be ready to protect the vulnerability 619

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3. Clarissa Samson and Teresa Beer: Nature is a lifesaver and we prepare for more extreme heat

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