Longer and hotter summers are nothing but a blessing to us Chicagoans. However, heat waves come with extreme complications and this “wicked witch” may curse us all sooner than you expect it.
So, all this heat isn’t just appearing magically, it’s anthropogenic, meaning human-caused. When driving cars or running the air conditioning, greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. These pollutants, such as carbon dioxide and methane, stick in our atmosphere and trap heat. Scary huh?
Excess heat is increasing heat exhaustion, decreasing sleep, and even causing death in the most sensitive populations. According to Chicago Magazine, a three-day Chicago heat left 739 people dead. These deaths occurred because humans haven’t evolved to handle extreme heat.
On a lighter note, fortunate enough to live right off Lake Michigan, I wake up every morning to a beautiful pink sky that reflects onto the vast lake. The green grass cradles the cucumbers and tomatoes in my backyard garden. However, despite the beauty that lies within my town, certain aspects of living in a suburb of Chicago, Highland Park, are hardly an example of a healthy human habitat.
With all this land comes challenges with accessibility, meaning less walking and more driving! Speaking of driving, with all the weather extremes in Highland Park you’ll find yourself in the driver’s seat of your Audi more often than not. More driving not only means more pollution, but it also means less exercise. The benefits of walking in nature range from stress reduction all the way to decreased risk of diabetes. So, believe it or not, your beautiful town may be increasing your chances of heart disease and depression as well. The wicked witch just won’t stop casting spells.
It doesn’t stop there though. Communities all around the world are experiencing increases in heat waves, including my very own town, Highland Park. I have felt the change in heat and in response spent more time inside. The increase in my time spent inside has most definitely affected my stress levels, and I bet it has affected yours too. Check out the New York Times to see how your town is being affected by the heat. By 2080 my town is predicted to have 7 more very hot days (at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit). Chicago has had its own share of heat waves and worst of all, many aren’t prepared for what’s to come.
It’s time to prepare for what’s ahead. For starters, you can shield windows, know the signs of heat exhaustion, and stay out of the sun when it’s extremely hot.
And if you’re looking to be a farmer or get seriously involved in your community, heat waves and droughts lead to dried up soil, so methods for keeping the soil moist are a must. As our water supply decreases, it will be incredibly important to collect and reuse rainwater. In addition, drip irrigation systems (pipes that drip water at the roots of crops) are a great alternative to center pivot systems (large rotating sprinklers) as they decrease water usage, while still giving crops the water they need. Finally, replacing lettuce with melons, tomatoes, and beans will help gain a greater yield of crops due to their innate ability to grow in drier conditions.
Essentially, we must adapt necessarily to the upcoming changes to ensure that we live in a healthy human habitat because trust me, you can’t just throw a bucket of water on this wicked witch.
Works Cited
Cunningham, Aimee. “Are We Ready for the Deadly Heat Waves of the Future?” Science News, 2 Aug. 2018, http://www.sciencenews.org/article/are-we-ready-deadly-heat-waves-future.
EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, www3.epa.gov/myem/envmap/myenv.html?minx=-87.85198&miny=42.13657&maxx=-87.75198&maxy=42.23657&ve=11,42.18657,-87.80198&pText=60035, Highland Park, Illinois&pTheme=.
Harmon, Katherine. “How Does a Heat Wave Affect the Human Body?” Scientific American, 23 July 2010, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heat-wave-health/.
Perlman, Howard, and USGS. “Some Irrigation Methods.” Adhesion and Cohesion Water Properties, USGS Water Science School, water.usgs.gov/edu/irquicklook.html.
Popovich, Nadja, et al. “How Much Hotter Is Your Hometown Than When You Were Born?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 Aug. 2018, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/30/climate/how-much-hotter-is-your-hometown.html.
Thomas, Mike. “How 739 People Died in a Chicago Heat Wave.” Chicago Magazine, http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/July-2015/1995-Chicago-heat-wave/.
“15 Ways to Help Mitigate Drought on Your Farm This Season and Beyond.” Goats | Small Farms Programs, smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sfn/sp14drought.
(The photograph was posted to Flickr by Jenny Tañedo and can be found here. Licensing to this photograph can be found here. )
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