"With heatwaves roasting cities, chief heat officers try to protect people from temperatures so high 'the body can't cool down'".
"As the era of "global boiling" spawns ever deadlier heatwaves, a handful of heat tsars are working with officials in cities from Miami to Melbourne in a race against time to cool urban heat traps and prevent tens of thousands of deaths.
Seven chief heat officers - who all happen to be women - are working in Miami, Melbourne, Dhaka, Freetown and Athens to plant trees, create "pocket parks", install water fountains and teach people about the effects of extreme heat on the human body.
The role of chief heat officer was created three years ago by a U.S.-based think tank, but even in that short time the task has become more urgent as planet-heating emissions - largely from the use of coal, oil and gas - are pushing temperatures into "uncharted territory", according to scientists."
Anastasia Moloney reports for Thomson Reuters May 20, 2024.
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