Refined assessment of urban residents' exposure to extreme temperatures across the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiachuan Yang ◽  
Leiqiu Hu
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Cold Wave ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Extreme Temperatures ◽  
Spatiotemporal Population Dynamics

<p>Extreme temperatures during heat and cold waves are severe health hazards for humans. Residents’ exposure controls the susceptibility of the urban population to these hazards, yet the spatiotemporal population dynamics has been long overlooked in assessing the risk. In this study, we conducted comparative analysis over 16 major urban habitats under three massive heat waves and one cold wave across the contiguous United States. Incorporating WRF weather simulations with commute-adjusted population profiles, we found that the interaction between population dynamics and urban heat islands makes residents exposed to higher temperatures under extreme weather. After accounting for diurnal population movement, urban residents’ exposure to heat waves is intensified by 2.0 ± 0.8 <sup>o</sup>C (mean ± standard deviation among cities), and their exposure to cold wave is attenuated by 0.4 ± 0.8 <sup>o</sup>C. The aggravated exposure to extreme heat is more than half of the heat wave hazard (temperature anomaly 3.7 ± 1.5 <sup>o</sup>C). The underestimated exposure to extreme heat needs to be taken into serious consideration, especially in nighttime given the evident trend of observed nocturnal warming. Results suggest that the major driver for modified exposure to heat waves is the spatial temperature variability, i.e., residents’ exposure is more likely to be underestimated in a spread-out city. The current release of warnings for hazardous extreme weather is usually at the weather forecast zone level, and our analysis demonstrates that such service can be improved through considering spatiotemporal population dynamics. The essential role of population dynamics should also be emphasized in temperature-related climate adaptation strategies for effective and successful interventions.</p>

scholarly journals Population dynamics modify urban residents’ exposure to extreme temperatures across the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. eaay3452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiachuan Yang ◽  
Leiqiu Hu ◽  
Chenghao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Extreme Temperatures ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Spatiotemporal Population Dynamics

Exposure to extreme temperatures is one primary cause of weather-related human mortality and morbidity. Global climate change raises the concern of public health under future extreme events, yet spatiotemporal population dynamics have been long overlooked in health risk assessments. Here, we show that the diurnal intra-urban movement alters residents’ exposure to extreme temperatures during cold and heat waves. To do so, we incorporate weather simulations with commute-adjusted population profiles over 16 major U.S. metropolitan areas. Urban residents’ exposure to heat waves is intensified by 1.9° ± 0.7°C (mean ± SD among cities), and their exposure to cold waves is attenuated by 0.6° ± 0.8°C. The higher than expected exposure to heat waves significantly correlates with the spatial temperature variability and requires serious attention. The essential role of population dynamics should be emphasized in temperature-related climate adaptation strategies for effective and successful interventions.

scholarly journals Heat Vulnerability and Heat Island Mitigation in the United States

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungmin Lim ◽  
Mark Skidmore
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Weather Extremes ◽  
Heat Vulnerability

Heat waves are the deadliest type of natural hazard among all weather extremes in the United States. Given the observed and anticipated increase in heat risks associated with ongoing climate change, this study examines community vulnerability to extreme heat and the degree to which heat island mitigation (HIM) actions by state/local governments reduce heat-induced fatalities. The analysis uses all heat events that occurred over the 1996–2011 period for all United States counties to model heat vulnerability. Results show that: (1) Higher income reduces extreme heat vulnerability, while poverty intensifies it; (2) living in mobile homes or rental homes heightens susceptibility to extreme heat; (3) increased heat vulnerability due to the growth of the elderly population is predicted to result in a two-fold increase in heat-related fatalities by 2030; and (4) community heat island mitigation measures reduce heat intensities and thus heat-related fatalities. Findings also show that an additional locally implemented measure reduces the annual death rate by 15%. A falsification test rules out the possibility of spurious inference on the life-saving role of heat island mitigation measures. Overall, these findings inform efforts to protect the most vulnerable population subgroups and guide future policies to counteract the growing risk of deadly heat waves.

Heat Waves and Innovation in Air Conditioning in the United States

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
County Level ◽  
Similar Increase ◽  
Patent Data

AbstractThis study investigates whether extreme heat episodes (heatwaves) have contributed to the development of air conditioning technology in the United States. To this end we use weather data to identify days at which heat and relative humidity were above levels comfortable to the human body, and match these with patent data at the county level for nearly a hundred years. We find that in the two years after a county has experienced extreme heat air-conditioning patents increase. Overall, average extreme heat exposure results in an increase of 7.5% greater innovation. We find no similar increase in the frequency of non-air conditioning related patent filings, and therefore conclude that heatwaves result in innovation targeting their mitigation.

scholarly journals Public perceptions of the health risks of extreme heat across US states, counties, and neighborhoods

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (14) ◽  
pp. 6743-6748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter D. Howe ◽  
Jennifer R. Marlon ◽  
Xinran Wang ◽  
Anthony Leiserowitz
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Us States ◽  
Heat Risk

Extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. Many individuals, however, fail to perceive this risk, which will be exacerbated by global warming. Given that awareness of one’s physical and social vulnerability is a critical precursor to preparedness for extreme weather events, understanding Americans’ perceptions of heat risk and their geographic variability is essential for promoting adaptive behaviors during heat waves. Using a large original survey dataset of 9,217 respondents, we create and validate a model of Americans’ perceived risk to their health from extreme heat in all 50 US states, 3,142 counties, and 72,429 populated census tracts. States in warm climates (e.g., Texas, Nevada, and Hawaii) have some of the highest heat-risk perceptions, yet states in cooler climates often face greater health risks from heat. Likewise, places with older populations who have increased vulnerability to health effects of heat tend to have lower risk perceptions, putting them at even greater risk since lack of awareness is a barrier to adaptive responses. Poorer neighborhoods and those with larger minority populations generally have higher risk perceptions than wealthier neighborhoods with more white residents, consistent with vulnerability differences across these populations. Comprehensive models of extreme weather risks, exposure, and effects should take individual perceptions, which motivate behavior, into account. Understanding risk perceptions at fine spatial scales can also support targeting of communication and education initiatives to where heat adaptation efforts are most needed.

scholarly journals Strategies for Disseminating and Implementing the COVID-19 Vaccines in Rural Areas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Prusaczyk
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Urban Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Vaccine Information ◽  
Roll Out

Abstract The United States has well-documented rural-urban health disparities and it is imperative that these are not exacerbated by an inefficient roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines to rural areas. In addition to the pre-existing barriers to delivering and receiving healthcare in rural areas, such as high patient:provider ratios and long geographic distances between patients and providers, rural residents are significantly more likely to say they have no intention of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to urban residents. To overcome these barriers and ensure rural residents receive the vaccine, officials and communities should look to previous research on how to communicate vaccine information and implement successful vaccination programs in rural areas for guidance and concrete strategies to use in their local efforts.

scholarly journals How Quickly are Road-killed Snakes Scavenged? Implications for Underestimates of Road Mortality

2011 ◽  
Vol 127 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRETT A. DEGREGORIO ◽  
THOMAS E. HANCOCK ◽  
DAVID J. KURZ ◽  
SAM YUE
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Other ◽  
Road Mortality ◽  
Correction Factors ◽  
Significant Extent ◽  
Removal Time ◽  
Maritime Forest

Abstract Annually, millions of snakes are killed on roads in the United States. Because of their potential abundance and ease of collection, many researchers have used road-killed snakes to examine community composition, movement patterns, and population dynamics. However, few previous studies have accounted for snake carcasses that are removed from roads by scavengers. Snake carcasses were placed at randomly selected locations along 2 km of road, one traversing maritime forest and the other surrounded by dune habitat. Carcasses in forested habitat were removed more often (100% vs 40%) and more quickly (8 hr vs 11 hr) than those placed in dune habitat. Half of the carcasses (50%) were removed within eight hours of placement and all carcasses were removed at night. Species and size of carcasses did not affect removal time. Removal time and scavenging intensity of snake carcasses most likely varies across regions and habitats. Furthermore, because scavenging appears to occur quickly and to such a significant extent, it may confound results of studies examining patterns of road-mortality. Thus, investigators that use data from road-killed snakes would benefit from a concurrent investigation of scavenging and application of appropriate correction factors to avoid underestimation of snake mortality.

Population dynamics of muskrats and mink: investigating contemporary patterns in a classic predator-prey system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam A Ahlers ◽  
Timothy P Lyons ◽  
Edward J Heske
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Density Dependence ◽  
American Mink ◽  
Population Cycles ◽  
The United States ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Cycle Lengths ◽  
Southern Half

A well-studied predator-prey relationship between American mink (Neovison vison (Schreber, 1777)) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766)) in Canada has advanced our understanding of population cycles including the influence of density dependence and lagged responses of predators to prey abundances. However, it is unclear if patterns observed in Canada extend across the southern half of their native range. We used data from the United States to create a 41-year time series of mink and muskrat harvest reports (1970-2011) for 36 states. After controlling for pelt-price effects, we used 2nd order autoregressive and Lomb-Scargle spectral density models to identify the presence and periodicity of muskrat population cycles. Additionally, we tested for evidence of delayed or direct density dependence and for predator-driven population dynamics. Our results suggest muskrat populations may cycle in parts of the United States; however, results varied by modeling approaches with Lomb-Scargle analyses providing more precise parameter estimates. Observed cycle lengths were longer than expected with weak amplitudes and we urge caution when interpreting these results. We did not detect evidence of a predator-prey relationship driven by a lagged numerical response of American mink. American mink and muskrat fur returns were largely correlated across the region suggesting extraneous factors likely synchronize both populations.

Fecal Shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in North Dakota Feedlot Cattle in the Fall and Spring

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1154-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARGARET L. KHAITSA ◽  
MARC L. BAUER ◽  
GREGORY P. LARDY ◽  
DAWN K. DOETKOTT ◽  
REDEMPTA B. KEGODE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
North Dakota ◽  
The United States ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Feedlot Cattle ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Fecal Shedding ◽  
E Coli

Cattle are an important reservoir of Escherichia coli O157:H7, which can lead to contamination of food and water, and subsequent human disease. E. coli O157:H7 shedding in cattle has been reported as seasonal, with more animals shedding during summer and early fall than during winter. North Dakota has relatively cold weather, especially in winter and early spring, compared with many other regions of the United States. The objective was to assess fecal shedding of E. coli O157: H7 in North Dakota feedlot cattle over the fall, winter, and early spring. One hundred forty-four steers were assigned randomly to 24 pens on arrival at the feedlot. Samples of rectal feces were obtained from each steer four times (October and November 2003, and March and April 2004) during finishing. On arrival (October 2003), 2 (1.4%) of 144 cattle were shedding E. coli O157:H7. The shedding increased significantly to 10 (6.9%) of 144 after 28 days (November 2003), to 76 (53%) of 143 at the third sampling (March 2004), and dropped significantly to 30 (21%) of 143 at the fourth (last) sampling (March 2004) before slaughter. Unfortunately, we were unable to sample the cattle during winter because of the extreme weather conditions. Sampling time significantly (P < 0.0001) influenced variability in E. coli O157:H7 shedding, whereas herd (P = 0.08) did not. The prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 shedding in North Dakota steers in fall and early spring was comparable to what has been reported in other parts of the United States with relatively warmer weather. Further research into E. coli O157:H7 shedding patterns during extreme weather such as North Dakota winters is warranted in order to fully assess the seasonal effect on the risk level of this organism.

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