Li Zhou reports on how a lack of cooling regulations impacts vulnerable communities in a warmer world.
Story Spotlight
It has been mercilessly hot this month — millions of people have been impacted by grueling heat waves all over the United States — so air conditioning has been an especially heated topic within the Vox newsroom. As climate change drives temperatures ever upward, the disparities in our access to cooling are becoming a more pressing issue. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the death certificates of more than 2,300 people who died in the United States last summer mention the effects of excessive heat, the highest number in 45 years of records. Given all of this, senior reporter Li Zhou pitched a story that sought to explain why our infrastructure for cooling is so woefully inadequate and what policies or regulations exist that help protect low-income and vulnerable communities from heat exposure. Her reporting is a must read — and helps explain why our attitudes around heating and cooling need to change.
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