Extreme heat, the silent killer
11/03/21 • 19 min
1 Listener
Every year, people in the American West die from scorching temperatures. Experts fear that the number of deaths is undercounted — and, that as the climate continues to heats up, the death rate is going to rise.
Officially, California says 599 people died due to heat exposure from 2010 to 2019. But a Los Angeles Times investigation estimates the number is way higher: about 3,900 deaths.
Today we talk to Tony Barboza and Anna M. Phillips, who, along with Sean Greene and Ruben Vives, spearheaded the L.A. Times investigation. We discuss why their count is so different from the state's, who's most vulnerable to the heat and how to protect yourself.
More reading:
Heat waves are far deadlier than we think. How California neglects this climate threat
Climate change is supercharging California heat waves, and the state isn’t ready
Poor neighborhoods bear the brunt of extreme heat, ‘legacies of racist decision-making’
Every year, people in the American West die from scorching temperatures. Experts fear that the number of deaths is undercounted — and, that as the climate continues to heats up, the death rate is going to rise.
Officially, California says 599 people died due to heat exposure from 2010 to 2019. But a Los Angeles Times investigation estimates the number is way higher: about 3,900 deaths.
Today we talk to Tony Barboza and Anna M. Phillips, who, along with Sean Greene and Ruben Vives, spearheaded the L.A. Times investigation. We discuss why their count is so different from the state's, who's most vulnerable to the heat and how to protect yourself.
More reading:
Heat waves are far deadlier than we think. How California neglects this climate threat
Climate change is supercharging California heat waves, and the state isn’t ready
Poor neighborhoods bear the brunt of extreme heat, ‘legacies of racist decision-making’
Previous Episode
Mexico’s wine country gets big — maybe too big
The Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California is Mexico’s premier wine country, a lush valley that makes Napa seem as gorgeous as a parking lot.
But a lot of development is coming to the Valle — and many locals aren’t happy.
Today, we travel to this beautiful, contested space with two experts. Javier Cabral is the editor of LA Taco and wrote about a recent anti-development protest there. Javier Plascencia, a pioneering chef, has seen Valle grow and wants the world to come in — in a sustainable way.
More reading:
Is Valle de Guadalupe over? The fight to protect Mexican wine country
Next Episode
What it's like for L.A.'s female firefighters
Less than 4% of Los Angeles’ firefighters are women — a number that, despite the mayor’s goals, has inched up only slightly in recent years. Many of the female firefighters say their ranks are so small because of a hostile, sexist culture pervading the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Today, we talk about what women in the LAFD have been dealing with, including trash in their lockers, feces on bathroom floors and nasty remarks from co-workers they need to trust with their lives. We talk to L.A. Times City Hall reporter Dakota Smith, who has covered this hazing culture, and we also hear from Stacy Taylor, a retired battalion chief who pushed for better treatment during her 26 years in the department.
More reading:
Women say they endure ‘frat house’ culture at L.A. Fire Department. ‘The worst of my life’
Female firefighters, civil rights advocates call for LAFD chief’s removal
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/headlines-from-the-times-179621/extreme-heat-the-silent-killer-17367072"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to extreme heat, the silent killer on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy