It’s right there in the name: global warming.
Step outside and the air is thick, like you’re breathing steam. Walking is almost too much effort. You try to find shade, but the treeless sidewalk offers no refuge from the sun’s rays. At night you open the windows to let in a fresh breeze, but only warm, humid air greets you. The fan just pushes it around, cooling nothing.
It’s one thing to know it’s getting hotter; it’s another to feel it.
In this issue we explore what the heat means for us and what we can do to adapt to it. Can we cool our hot urban island with more trees and reflective roofs? Can we help our neighbors lower the temperatures in their homes? What about keeping outdoor workers safe? Can we change the food we grow and how we grow it?
Of course we can’t forget what we can do to slow the warming itself, whether that’s helping our neighbors get around without cars or coming up with innovative ways to pay for lower-emissions infrastructure. We hope you finish reading this issue with some new ideas for how you can adapt — and for the drastic changes we as a society urgently need to make. It’s hot, but there’s no time to take it easy.
