Medicolegal death investigations agencies are generally underresourced, with insufficient infrastructure for data-sharing and computerized record management.
By advocating for the integration of technology-focused green jobs within federal initiatives, there is an opportunity to broaden the talent pool and harness the potential of emerging technologies to tackle pressing environmental issues.
Global episodes of extreme heat intensify water shortages caused by extended drought and overpumping. Creating actionable solutions to the challenges of a warming planet requires cooperation across all water consumers.
To better incorporate extreme heat and people-centered disasters into U.S. emergency management, Congress and federal agencies should take several interrelated actions.
The undercounting of deaths related to extreme heat and other people-centered disasters — like extreme cold and smoke waves — hinders the political and public drive to address the problem.
The U.S. must urgently reform its disaster assistance policies to incorporate extreme heat through an amendment to the Stafford Act.
The incoming administration should undertake a multi-agency effort to further develop the science and quantify the benefits of urban forests today and into the future.
The federal government must maximize existing funds to mitigate heat stress and ensure the equitable distribution of these resources to the most vulnerable households.
The escalating frequency and intensity of extreme heat events, exacerbated by climate change, pose a significant and growing threat to public health. By leveraging funding mechanisms, incentives, and requirements, HHS can strengthen health system preparedness.
In a blackout, access to critical services like telecommunications, transportation, and medical assistance is also compromised, which only intensifies and compounds the urgency for coordinated response efforts.
An energy-efficient workplace cooling transformation is needed to ensure businesses have the support required to comply with existing state heat rules and upcoming federal workplace heat prevention requirements.
To protect the health and well-being of the nation’s children, the federal government must facilitate efforts to collect the data required to drive extreme heat mitigation and adaptive capacity in the classroom.