U.S. Schools Closing Due To Extreme Heat

Heat waves and drought are rocking the United States, and that has even led to some U.S. schools closing due to the extreme heat. This has happened on both the East Coast and the West Coast.

Heat, Insufficient Cooling Disrupt Learning Nationwide

Extreme heat across the country is disrupting education as high temperatures force schools without sufficient ventilation or air conditioning to cancel classes or send students home early. School systems including those in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Baltimore, and San Diego were all forced to cancel or shorten school this week.

“It was over 100 degrees by 10 a.m.,” Sharee Himmons, a special-education assistant at Fitler Elementary in Philadelphia, told the Inquirer. “It’s unhealthy to be sitting in there like that — we were all sweaty, lightheaded, tired, cranky.”

People of color are disproportionately harmed by extreme heat due to racist policy decisions, from redlining to present-day de facto segregation. In particular, rising temperatures and underinvestment in communities of color disproportionately harm Black and Hispanic students’ educational outcomes.

Sources:

Nationwide: The Hill; Philadelphia: Philadelphia Inquirer; Ohio: Energy News Network, WKYC; Baltimore: CNN; San Diego: KGTV; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves.

Record, Grid, Health-Threatening Heat Coming For California

As a massive heatwave spreads across California and the Western U.S., officials are warning of both rolling blackouts and increased wildfire activity. Temperatures as much as 20°F above normal are expected to remain through the weekend and the California electrical grid operator (CAISO) has to reduce their electricity consumption to ease strain on the grid as air conditioning drives up demand. CAISO also said customers should “avoid charging electric vehicles” during periods of high strain on the grid. Governor Newsom also declared a state of emergency, which will allow the use of backup diesel generators and pauses requirements that ships plug into ports’ electricity. While the measures will help keep the lights on, they will also increase air pollution, the danger of which is compounded by extreme heat.

Wildfires on Wednesday already forced evacuations across the state and officials worry and expect the heat will fuel increased fire activity. Not only does the heat dry out vegetation, it also increases the strain on firefighters doing physically demanding work while carrying heavy gear. House GOP Whip Steve Scalise criticized CAISO’s statement about EV charging, which comes a week after CARB declared all new cars sold in California by 2035 must be EVs.

Sources:

Heat & Grid: LA Times $, Washington Post $, Sacramento Bee $, AP, CNN, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Bloomberg $, Reuters, New York Times $, Yahoo; State of Emergency: AP; Health risks: The Guardian; Fires: AP, Sacramento Bee $, KCRA Sacramento; EV charging: USA Today, ABC-10, Washington Examiner, Fox News; Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves, Wildfires.

Featured image courtesy of NOAA.

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