Hurricane Beryl Enters the Chat - Climate Change is a Public Health Crisis (Part 2)

How severe are the effects of Hurricane Beryl? Why is it such an immense crisis, and how do we move forward from here? Join our hosts, Robert and Carrie, for the second of a two-part episode as they continue their discussion with medical anthropologist Dr. Rose Jones about the climate-fueled public health crisis.

In Part Two, our co-hosts bring you the latest climate news covering several topics:  

• Houston, we’re thinking of you. Just how many people are at risk of health crises in the midst of the Beryl blackout? (01:33)

• Heat Kills: Heat health data might be shaky, but the record of 2023 is staggering. (06:04)

• Where do we draw the lines? FEMA adjusts their floodplain protocol in post-flood reconstruction. (07:24)

• Waves and Domes: The stark reality of climate change, heat indices, and human health. (11:03)

What’s at the heart of the climate health crisis with, Dr. Jones:

• Where are we with policy? Find out where policy is failing, and where we can go from here. (13:08)

• Blackouts in July, a Texan nightmare come true: Dr. Jones connects power outages to severe health risks, a poignant observation in light of recent events. (16:40)

• A Social Autopsy: What will it take to wake the state to climate realities? (20:23)

• How do we connect the dots? From training to education, dig into the wicked heart of the climate health crisis, and learn how you can contribute to solutions. (21:38)

• How do you stay hydrated? Dr. Mace shares tips from R.N. Patricia Cloyd-Santos on staying hydrated (Hint: It’s not beer…). (30:04)

And…THE GOOD NEWS!

• Hurri-cakes? Insensitive and poorly timed, or a helpful preparedness communication tool? (31:51)

• Slow Fashion Caucus: How is Congress fighting climate on the runway? (32:13)

• Applied Academics: How UT and City of Austin are putting research to the pavement. (34:04)

Episode Links and Resources:

• Heat.gov

• Texas Department of Health and Human Services Hot Weather Precautions

• Locate Cooling Centers and Seasonal Shelters in Texas

• Race to restore power to 1.3M after Hurricane Beryl as dangerous heat wave continues (NBC)

• Hurricane Beryl SpotRep (Healthcare Ready)

• “I don’t wish this on anyone”: Two families mourn their losses after a record year for Texas heat deaths (Texas Tribune)

• FEMA will now consider climate change when it rebuilds after floods (MSN)

• Dangerous Texas Memorial Day heat made 5 times more likely by global warming (San Antonio Current)

• First Ever Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus Aims to Curb Fast Fashion Pollution (The Apparelist)

• Scorched: Climate Change Turns Up the Heat on Austin (Bridging Barriers)

Related Books

• The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet (2023). Jeff Goodell. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

• Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago (2015). Eric Klinenberg. The University of Chicago Press, 2nd edition.

• Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action (2024). Dana Fisher. Columbia University Press.

Theme song:

Syzygy by Robert E. Mace