Climate Impacts Group & partners release report in English and Spanish aimed at preventing heat-related illness and death in Washington

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An image of people gathered in groups on a hill, silhouetted against a light-blue sky. Text says, "In the Hot Seat: Saving Lives from Extreme Heat in Washington State"

Texto en español a continuación

Two years ago, in the summer of 2021, Washington experienced the deadliest weather disaster in the state’s history with days of record-breaking heat. More Washingtonians died from heat exposure each day during the 2021 heat dome than die from heat exposure in a typical summer.

The devastating impacts of the heat dome, coupled with projections that extreme heat events will be more frequent and more intense as the climate changes, serve as a call to action to address heat vulnerability across our state. 

In the hot seat: Saving lives from extreme heat in Washington state describes the problem of extreme heat and outlines specific, actionable guidance for short-term emergency response and long-term risk reduction. From creating culturally-specific cooling centers, to increasing tree canopy and shade in certain urban areas, to improving protections for workers, the report highlights roles state and local governments, elected officials, community- and faith-based organizations and others can play in addressing this important issue.  

The 22-page report was authored by scientists at the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, the Center for Health and the Global Environment at UW, Washington Department of Health, the Office of the Washington State Climatologist and Gonzaga University. 

READ THE REPORT

An image of people gathered in groups on a hill, silhouetted against a light-blue sky. Text says, "En La Línea de Fuego: Salvando vidas del calor extremo en el estado de Washington"

El Grupo de Impactos Climáticos/Climate Impacts Group y sus socios publican un informe destinado a prevenir enfermedades y muertes relacionadas con el calor en Washington

Hace dos años, en el verano de 2021, Washington experimentó el desastre climático más mortífero en la historia del estado con días de calor y temperaturas récord. Más habitantes de Washington murieron por exposición al calor cada día durante el domo de calor de 2021 que por exposición al calor en un verano típico.

Los impactos devastadores del domo de calor, junto con las proyecciones que los eventos de calor extremo serán más frecuentes e intensos a medida que cambie el clima, por lo que sirven como un llamado a la acción para abordar la vulnerabilidad al calor en todo nuestro estado.

En la Línea de Fuego: Salvando Vidas del Calor Extremo en el Estado de Washington describe el problema del calor extremo y contiene una guía práctica y específica para la respuesta a emergencias a corto plazo, así como la reducción de riesgos a largo plazo. Desde la creación de centros de enfriamiento culturalmente relevantes hasta el aumento de la copa de los árboles, así como estructuras de sombra en ciertas áreas urbanas y la mejora de la protección de los trabajadores, el informe destaca los roles que los gobiernos estatales y locales, los funcionarios electos, las organizaciones comunitarias y religiosas y otros grupos pueden desempeñar para abordar este importante asunto.

El informe de 22 páginas fue escrito por científicos del Grupo de Impactos Climáticos de la Universidad de Washington, el Centro para la Salud y el Medio Ambiente Global de la UW, el Departamento de Salud de Washington, la Oficina del Climatólogo del Estado de Washington y la Universidad Gonzaga. 

LEER EL INFORME

Announcing two Spanish-language reports on climate impacts in Washington

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The UW Climate Impacts Group and several community partners are excited to share two Spanish-language reports on the impacts of climate change for Washington State. The reports — Sin Tiempo Que Perder and Cambiando las Líneas de Nieve y las Líneas de Costa — were originally published in English in 2018 and 2020, and are written for a general audience including policy makers, community organizers, journalists and the public.

Warmer temperatures, more severe floods, intensifying wildfires — the impacts of a changing climate are already being felt across Washington, and affect some communities disproportionately. We must engage and mobilize all communities to make real progress in preparing for the effects of climate change. Increasing the accessibility of climate change impacts science is critical to mobilizing all of our communities, especially those that have been historically marginalized from the adaptation field. The UW Climate Impacts Group and our partners hope that the Spanish translations of these reports will support efforts to engage with Spanish-speaking communities on the issues of climate change and climate impacts across our state.

Sin Tiempo Que Perder summarizes the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and answers questions such as: What are the anticipated global consequences of additional warming? What are the implications for Washington state? And, What are the options for limiting warming to 1.5°C or 2°C?

Cambiando las Líneas de Nieve y las Líneas de Costa draws from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2019 Special Report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, as well as research from the Climate Impacts Group. This brief answers questions such as: How are the ocean and cryosphere being affected by human activities? What are the environmental, financial and social costs of these impacts — for Washington as well as globally? And, What can we do to prepare our communities for the impacts of climate change?

The Spanish translations of these reports were a team effort. The process was spurred by Elisa Lopez, project director of the Wenatchee-based Team Naturaleza, who reached out to the UW Climate Impacts Group with an interest in partnering to create Spanish translations for Shifting Snowlines and Shorelines. Isabel Carrera Zamanillo, assistant director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Stanford University School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences (and formerly of the UW College of the Environment), provided the original translations. Additionally, Elisa Lopez provided a community review of the translation; Heidi Roop, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota (and formerly science communications lead for the Climate Impacts Group), offered proofreading support on both reports; and Monique Heileson, an independent visual designer, re-created the original layout of the reports for the Spanish translations. The UW CIG is thankful for the support and efforts of our partners who made this project possible.

The English-language versions of these reports — No Time to Waste and Shifting Snowlines and Shorelines — are also available on the Climate Impacts Group website.