Extreme Heat Policy Innovation Summit
About the Convening
While Americans have cooled down from the hottest summer on human record, the 2024 heat season is not that far around the corner. A lack of action is killing thousands of people a year and costing Americans +$120 billion a year. These costs will only keep rising with future anticipated exposure to dangerous heat (>125 °F) expected to impact 107.6 million Americans by the year 2053. Transformative action is needed to prepare the United States for a warmer world.
To meet this critical moment, FAS and ASU KER are hosting the Extreme Heat Policy Innovation Summit to showcase actions that can be taken at all levels of government to address extreme heat. Presentations will feature Arizona Governor’s Office of Resiliency and ASU KER’s report informing Arizona’s Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan, FAS’ Extreme Heat Policy Sprint coalition’s federal policy ideas, and other innovative policy efforts to build heat resilience.
Agenda
Opening Remarks
(11-11:20am)
This session will open the event and feature key policy leaders working on climate resilience solutions.
- Erica Goldman, Federation of American Scientists
- Patricia Solís, Arizona State University Knowledge Exchange for Resilience
- Grace Wickerson, Federation of American Scientists
- Representative from White House Climate Policy Office
Interagency Working Group on Heat Implementing Agencies Panel
(11:20am-12pm)
This session will feature key agency leaders driving forward actions on extreme heat planning, response, and resilience and implementing key activities like the interagency working group on extreme heat.
- Moderator: Kristen Averyt, University of Nevada, Las Vegan
- Jainey Bavishi, Deputy Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Victoria Salinas, Associate Administrator for Resilience, Federal Emergency Management Administration
- Ana Mascareñas, Senior Advisor on Environmental Justice and Climate Change, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Policy Innovation in the Federal Government
(12:30-12:50pm)
This session will spotlight the National Integrated Heat Health Information System, an innovative effort within the federal government to coordinate, streamline, and strategize approaches to tackling the extreme heat crisis.
- Juli Trtanj, NOAA One Health Lead and Executive Director of the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS)
Extreme Heat Data Flash Talk
(12:50-1pm)
Data is critical to how we understand extreme heat and its impact on vulnerable Americans. Better visualizations are critical to understanding and addressing risk. This session will feature a new tool developed by the Census, the Community Resilience Estimate for Heat.
- R. Chase Sawyer, Technical Lead for Data Product Development at U.S. Census Bureau
From the Frontlines of Extreme Heat: State and Local Actions in Arizona
(1-2:30 pm)
This session will share the experiences of the state, county, local, tribal, and community stakeholders regarding extreme heat preparedness, response, mitigation and adaptation. Stakeholders will also provide insights and recommendations for the federal policy and legislative landscape.
Introduction
Dr. Patricia Solís, Executive Director, ASU Knowledge Exchange for Resilience. Brief video remarks from Kyrsten Sinema, U.S. Senator from Arizona
Key Session
Maren Mahoney, Director, Office of Resiliency, Office of the Governor Katie Hobbs
Panel I of local and state public sector institutions
- Moderator: Dr. Libby Wentz, Vice Provost and Dean, Graduate College, ASU
- Maren Mahoney, Director, Office of Resiliency, Office of the Governor Katie Hobbs
- Amy St. Peter, Deputy Executive Director, Maricopa Association of Governments
- Dr. David Hondula, Chief Heat Officer, City of Phoenix
- Dr. Eugene Livar, Chief Heat Officer, State of Arizona
Panel II of multi-scale stakeholders and community actors
- Moderator: Dr. Patricia Solís, Executive Director, ASU Knowledge Exchange for Resilience
- Ryan Winkle, Executive Director, RAIL CDC
- Rev. Katie Sexton, Executive Director, Arizona Faith Network
- Kevin Allis, President of Thunderbird Strategic LLC
- Annie Donovan, President and CEO, Raza Development Fund
- Stacy Derstine, Vice President, APS
Federal Policy Opportunities from FAS Extreme Heat Policy Sprint
(3-4pm)
Presenters will discuss opportunities from the 20 policy memos from FAS’ Extreme Heat Policy Sprint for how the federal government can improve its response to extreme heat.
- Moderator: Grace Wickerson, Federation of American Scientists
- Arnab Ghosh, Cornell University
- Nile Nair, Harvard University
- Margaret Morrissey-Basler, Providence College
- Bill Updike, Smart Surfaces Coalition
- Bianca Corpuz, Johns Hopkins University
- Larissa Larsen, University of Michigan
- Lori Adornato, Independent Consultant
- Kurt Shickman, Urban Heat Resilience Professional
- Johanna Lawton, Rebuild by Design
- Jonathan Parfrey, Climate Resolve
Policy Innovation Showcases
(4-4:40pm)
This session will uplift leaders who are generating policy recommendations for federal, state, county, and local actors to implement to improve the response to extreme heat.
- V. Kelly Turner, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation
- Ashley Ward, Duke Heat Policy Innovation Hub.
- Erin Garnaas-Holmes, DC Department of Energy and Environment
- Braden Kay, California Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program Manager
Closeout and Call to Action
(4:40-5pm)
This session will set the stage for what’s next in the federal government’s realization and implementation of the National Climate Resilience Framework and other key plans such as Justice40 and the National Heat Strategic Plan.
- Crystal Bergmann, Senior Director for Resilience at CEQ