Killer Heat Waves: An Untethered Climate Emergency | Episode 26
With Simon Donner, Climate Scientist, Professor University Of British Columbia,
Historic, epic, unprecedented, these are just some of the words that were used to describe a heat wave that smothered parts of Western Canada and the US Northwest at the end of June. Trapped within a swath of accompanying heat warnings was the small town of Lytton, north east of British Columbia. The town shot to world infamy when it became one of the hottest places on earth and recorded a high of 49.6 degrees.
“It’s a time issue.” says Simon Donner, a Climate Scientist and Professor at the University of British Columbia. “We wait too long to take action to reduce emissions and we also wait to react after an extreme event, to say what we do to prepare for the next one.”
In this episode of the Big Blue Marble, we dive into the heart of what caused the “heat dome” to be so intense and the aftermath in its wake. We will also find out if another extreme event is possible in the near future.
Here are the links mentioned in this episode.