Summer Reading July 23, 2024

It’s Still Hot Outside!

Good News, Iffy News & Some Great News

Rep. Raúl Grijalva in his Tucson office.

So much news, so little space. So let’s start with the best news.

Our indefatigable champion for justice, the environment, the climate, the border, and much more over the past two decades, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, announced last week that his chemotherapy is complete and he’s ready to get back to work. With doctor’s orders. Grijalva was diagnosed with lung cancer in April of this year.

In a press release July 10, Grijalva wrote, “Today, I’m happy to share that I’ve finished my cancer treatment for now and continue working to get physically stronger. My ability to travel to Washington, D.C. is subject to clearance from my doctors, and they are optimistic about that timeline.”

He continues that throughout his treatment he was working to secure federal funds and stayed “actively engaged on border issues.”

“I greatly appreciate all of the support you’ve given me,” Grijalva wrote, “and know that I will continue fighting for you and all of those I represent in Southern Arizona.”

Grijalva “is our beloved Congressional hero. He has worked tirelessly,” says PSR Arizona Director Barbara Warren. “Let’s send him our thanks and support as he continues to carry on!”

Get in touch with Rep. Grijalva here.

Finally, OSHA Has Plans to Protect Outdoor Workers

Grijalva may have been out of the limelight for a few months, but his hard work on heat safety for workers, outdoor and indoor, is coming to fruition with plans by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to create new heat safety standards — based on “heat triggers” — for outdoor and indoor workers.

It would be the first nationwide standard to address the hazards of excessive heat and would apply to approximately 36 million workers. When officially published in the Federal Register, tentatively in August 2024, the public will have 120 days to comment on the proposed standards. Sources estimate the standards could be in effect by 2026.

The new heat rules rely on two triggers. When the temperature reaches 80°and stays there for more than 15 minutes — called the “initial heat trigger — and 90°F, the “high heat trigger.” Each level has requirements for safety, including resting, break areas, and water stations.

Tucson and Phoenix both have city ordinances aimed at heat protection for workers. More than 340 people died of heat-related causes in Maricopa County in 2023, and there were173 heat deaths in Pima County, 60% of them outdoors.

Tucson’s ordinance covers its outdoor employees and outdoor workers with city contractors.

OSHA relies on the WetBulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), a more inclusive “heat metric” that takes into account ambient temperature, humidity, radiant heat from sunlight or artificial heat sources, and air movement,” rather than just the temperature or traditional heat index.

Read the OSHA press release.

A new graphic from Berkeley Earth on the rising heat over the past century. See more at berkeleyearth.org

Helping Tucsonans Survive Rising Heat Since 2012

A dozen years ago PSR Arizona, along with local climate and environmental activists, scientists and public health officials had an inkling that being prepared for heatwaves in the desert just might be a good idea, given the then-understood impacts of global warming.

The result was a two-day immersion in climate change science and public health, with an emphasis on how inaction on reducing GHG would make it worse.

Called the Climate Smart Southwest (CSSW) Project, it was initiated by PSR Arizona in collaboration with 45 co-sponsors — a list that remains a who’s who of “climate smart” people from the university, city and county and most every nonprofit organization in the area. Also NOAA, one of the co-sponsors.

“We were a group of people working diligently to build awareness of heat — without knowing how bad it would get,” said PSR Arizona Director Barbara Warren.

“We’ve come full circle,” says Warren. “What was not even imagined in scope then is reality now.”

The goal was to teach people how to protect themselves and their neighbors in the heat if and when the power goes out,” said Dr. Warren, a scenario that still fits and dangerous a vast number of the city’s residents.

How we can help you today

The 2012 event was the model for PSR Arizona’s “Building Resilient Neighborhoods” workshops. Still very much in play today, BRN is an A to Z, three-hour course led by Mary Gresham, Margot Newhouse and Jacqueline Day on how to stay safe, how to recognize the stages of heat illness, what to stock for food and essentials, protocols for collaborating with neighbors. In short, any and all social essentials that can create a safe space in unsafe times.

“Building Resilient Neighborhoods” workshop at the House of Neighborly Service in South Tucson.

Workshops are free and offered live or via Zoom. To schedule a Resilient Neighborhood workshop, contact PSR-Arizona.

Online Resources and Expert Advice

**Maricopa County on July 17, 2024**
Heat map showing the range of daily high temperatures in portions of Maricopa County. The darker area is around Glendale, where this week the temperatures ranged from 111 to 118° F. Check daily temperatures and other weather-related events at Windy.com. (Not available for Pima County or Tucson.)

Official Arizona and Pima County Heat Safety Websites

Includes information on cooling center locations

Arizona Department of Health Sciences: Heat Safety

Pima County ‘Beat the Heat’

Pima County Air Quality: Daily & Maricopa County Air Quality: Daily

General Care for Heat Emergencies
Arizona Department of Health Sciences

General care for heat emergencies include cooling the body, giving fluids, and minimizing shock.

For specific heat-related emergencies, follow these steps:

For heat cramps or heat exhaustion: Get the person to a cooler place and have the person rest in a comfortable position. If the person is fully awake and alert, give a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not let him or her drink too quickly. Do not give liquids with alcohol in them, as they can make conditions worse. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths such as towels or wet sheets or mist with water. Get the person into an air conditioned space if possible. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number if the person refuses water, vomits or loses consciousness.

For heat stroke: Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation! Help is needed fast. Call 9-1-1 or your local EMS number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body using any means available, including cool water and ice. If you have ice packs or cold packs, wrap them in a cloth and place them on each of the victim’s wrists and ankles, in the armpits and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels. (Do not use rubbing alcohol because it closes the skin’s pores and prevents heat loss.) Wrap wet sheets around the body and place the person in front of a fan or air conditioner. Watch for signals of breathing problems and make sure the airway is clear. Keep the person lying down.

Newsletter by Karen Peterson