As the heat wave heats up, experts warn against becoming an "air-conditioned society"

Hundreds of people who died during thehistoric heat wavein British Columbia last summer are fit for temperatures that have skyrocketed to over 30s. I died for a few days in a house that wasn't there. Report by B.C. Coroner Service discovered 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.

Read more: Summer arrives in Canada and it is extremely hot. How to stay safe

But a year later, experts say that climate change encourages heat waves, scientists get hotter, and more often.

"I'm worried about mechanical ventilation as this comprehensive measure for all buildings. What I'm talking about is that it's very problematic. Adam Rysanek, assistant professor of environmental systems at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Architecture, said:

"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 can find another answer as to how buildings and cities are designed, landscaped, and even colored.

Extreme heat last summer Two-thirds of those who died were over 70 years old, more than half lived alone, and many lived with chronic illnesses.

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

However, many causes of overheating in buildings are due to design and performance, demonstrating a focus on air conditioning. He said he was ignoring the existing solution.

He said city planners and the construction industry need to use brightly colored materials for buildings and paved roads, in addition to adding shades to the exterior walls of buildings. Told.

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

Examiner Examination Alex Boston, a member of the board, said that as a result of demographic changes and the way homes and communities are built, British Columbia and across the country are becoming more "fundamentally vulnerable" to dangerous heat. rice field.

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 one elderly person who suffers from a chronic illness, and it is the elderly person who has some form of material or social deprivation," he says. I did.

"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. "

That the building is surrounded by trees If you don't check and shade and evaporatively cool, you'll shoot yourself in terms of energy, "future building load and cooling demand," vegetation and landscaping to mitigate extreme heat. Asked for "very robust" requirements.

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Metro Vancouver aims to increase urban canopy from an average of 32% to 40% by 2050 .. According to a 2019 report, existing canopies are declining due to urban development, but they are cents throughout the region. Specifically, the city of Vancouver's goal is to increase the canopy from 18% to 22%.

Boston said that many measures to improve heat resilience, 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 if you look at just one isolated component, the benefits of solving these issues Cannot be maximized. An integrated method, "Boston said.

For example, a Boston organization is working on a project on the North Shore of Vancouver to see how social service providers can help older singles manage their secondary suites at home. I am. From living alone in the extreme heat.

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

On the other hand, 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 added an average of $ 200. Almost one-third of survey respondents set temperatures below 19 ° C, resulting in inefficient use of air conditioning units. Summer invoice by doing. Popular portable units use 10 times more energy than central air conditioning systems or 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.

"If this problem is exacerbated. The cost of building development is a reduction in the bucket when it comes to the climate impact we face," he said.

B.C. Government in residential and commercial buildings He said non-mechanical cooling options needed to be encouraged to facilitate adoption, pointing out measures such as natural ventilation, ceiling fans, and radiant cooling built into floors and ceilings. 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 is calling 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.

Also, for those who are at the highest risk of dying in extreme heat, a cooling device as a medical device We encourage states to consider how to publish.

Minister of Public Security 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.

Read more: Summer weather 2022: What can Canadians expect this year?

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."

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

© 2022 TheCanadian Press