Heat domes kill

“It’s All Hunky-Dory, but…” CSAS

Last Monday, James Hansen and Makiko Sato with the “Climate Science, Awareness, and Solutions (CSAS), Earth Institute, Columbia University” sent an important message. Climate change is real but there is no need to panic. “We conclude that continued business-as-usual fossil fuel emissions will begin to make low latitudes inhospitable. If accompanied by multi-meter sea-level rise, migration and economic disruption it could be devastating,” they say. Their logic is solid, more carbon emissions would lead to more warming and irreversible consequences.

Distributed solar and wind energy generation and storage to the rescue!

Humid heat is fatal

By now, everyone paying attention knows climate and weather are not the same, but as the planet heats up the weather gets nastier. Heat from the Sun has to go somewhere.

Ocean heat energizes the water cycle. Heat creates water evaporation and condensation forms clouds, moving inland as storms and humidity.

Think of boiling water on a gas stove with a tea kettle. The gas chemical energy in the burning flame heats the bottom of the kettle by conduction. The water molecules at the bottom start to heat, and warm water molecules rise displacing cool molecules at the top, creating a convection flow moving faster and faster until the water bubbles up creating steam.

The heat index measures the combined effect of heat and humidity. When humidity is at 100 percent, 90°F feels like 132°F on the heat index. When the heat index rises above what the human body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through sweating, your core temperature rises, and heat-related illnesses develop.

Heat domes kill

Seven years ago, professor Michio Kaku explained the danger of heat domes on “CBS This Morning.” The YouTube video “Heat dome trapping in high temperatures” starts like a comedy when the host announces the wrong guest and it goes downhill with the heatwave explained by a co-host as “the dog days of Summer” until professor Kaku says people die from prolonged heat. Charlie Rose does a double take as if Kaku had said people would fry like bacon.

You know you are in a heat dome when the heat goes up during the day and stays hot at night. The next day, the heat goes up again and the process repeats over several days or weeks, until the jet stream and the pressure in the atmosphere break the cap holding the heat.

This week, a heat dome is forming over the 48 continental states that could last for weeks. Power outages are likely with surges for energy to run air conditioners. Community shelters and churches are not an option during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The time is now

Back in 2017, Dr. Hansen said carbon fees and dividends would make the price of fossil fuels honest by including the social cost of carbon emissions. For details, please visit the Energy Innovation Act website.

Take care of your pets

Most pets struggle with thermodynamics. During the Heat Dome keep them indoors, hydrated, and keep an eye on them when they go out. Pavement temperatures in NWA will get over 120°F – protect their paws, they have no shoes. These measures should work for you, too. Fans, showers, wicking loose clothes can help. Drink water before you get thirsty, five 12-ounce glasses per day starting first thing in the morning. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol.

My experience is limited to dogs. One of my dogs overheated outdoors and using a fan did not cool him down. Spraying rubbing alcohol on his fur and using the fan, cooled him as the isopropyl evaporated.

The Northwest Arkansas Weather Page Facebook group is a great source of local weather information.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has severe weather information, at ready.gov. Here are some of their suggestions to prepare for extreme heat: Cover windows with drapes or shades. Weather-strip doors and windows. Use window reflectors, such as aluminum foil-covered cardboard, to reflect heat back outside. Add insulation to keep the heat out. Use attic fans to clear hot air. Install window air conditioners and insulate around them.

Stay safe, don’t bake!

Dr. Luis Contreras