The 21st Century Rush for Heat Solutions
(This article is free for non-medium members due to the public need for heat solutions — in the hopes that these words will inspire those who find them.)
It’s been warm lately — really warm — almost too warm?
There I was, mid-December, finding myself staring at the grass — still a thriving summer-green, instead of being quietly asleep under the snow.
I’ve questioned this for a few years now — as I’m sure the majority have, too. Planet Earth’s atmospheric weather appears to be undergoing permanent changes — but why?
Is this global increase in warmth a result of human-created climate change and cycles, or is this a natural occurrence — an inevitability? Can we truly separate human-created weather from its natural cause and origin when they seem to live and affect us simultaneously?
The lines between the causes and origins of planet Earth’s pollutions blur across modern media platforms … merging into one — and at the same time, I can’t help but wonder, will ol’ winter ever return its traditional form that we once knew?
Planet Earth Is Getting Warmer
Recently, countries from across the globe, spanning from Europe to Asia, and from North America to Africa, have been actively searching for easy, economical, & energy-efficient ways to easily shield their citizens from dangerous hot weather.
“Model results for areas of Europe and North America, associated with the severe heat waves in Chicago in 1995 and Paris in 2003, show that future heat waves in these areas will become more intense, more frequent, and longer lasting in the second half of the 21st century.”
—Gerald A. Meehl & Claudia Tebaldi (2004)
→ What does the future hold?
What temperature will the future be?
The simple answer is: the exact degree is debatable — but yes, Earth’s days and nights will indeed be warmer than they were in the year 2024.
“Using this methodology, future heatwave changes for the most populous cities from 20 countries are derived from a 44 member ensemble of 28 GCMs from the CMIP5 archive forced with the RCP 8.5 emission scenario. Compared to 2006, absolute temperatures of 4–10 day long heatwaves are projected to be between 3.4 to 6.6°C hotter in 2099.”
— Simon J. Brown (2020)
→ Why the sudden rush for heat solutions?
High temperatures and heatwaves can create unlivable conditions for human health, wildlife, flora, and critical human infrastructures such as transportation services and utilities, technological systems, economic availability, and public health services.
“Results show that, if there is no adaptation, heatwave-related excess mortality is expected to increase the most in tropical and subtropical countries/regions (close to the equator), while European countries and the United States will have smaller percent increases in heatwave-related excess mortality. The changes in 2031–2080 compared with 1971–2020 range from approximately 2,000% in Colombia to 150% in Moldova under the highest emission scenario and high-variant population scenario, without any adaptation.”
— Yuming Guo, et al. (2018)
References
- Brown, S. J. (2020). Future changes in heatwave severity, duration and frequency due to climate change for the most populous cities. Weather and Climate Extremes, 30, 100278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2020.100278.
- Guo, Y., Gasparrini, A., Li, S., Sera, F., Vicedo-Cabrera, A. M., de Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, M., et al. (2018) Quantifying excess deaths related to heatwaves under climate change scenarios: A multicountry time series modelling study. PLoS Med 15(7): e1002629. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002629
- Meehl, G. A., & Tebaldi, C. (2004). More intense, more frequent, and longer lasting heat waves in the 21st century. Science (New York, N.Y.), 305(5686), 994–997. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1098704.
“The Three E Method”: The Meaning Behind Each E
Easy = E.
Economic = E.
& Energy-Efficient = & E.-E.
What does this represent?
The three ‘E’s represent employing easy, economic, and energy-efficient strategies to conceptualize inventions or methods — whether new or existing — that will improve the health of planet Earth and all species that inhabit it.
- Easy = Calls for the simple. The user-friendly. The straightforward. The uncomplicated. The intuitive. The hassle-free.
- Economic = Calls for the affordable. The optimized, not simplified. The cost-effective. The budget-conscious.
- Energy-Efficient = Calls for the sustainable. The environmentally-friendly. The eco-conscious. The green. The resource-preserving.
“The Three E Method” was created to help conceptualize newer ways to protect citizens from newer, more intense heatwaves.
Four Heat Solutions
While adhering to current market rates for 2024, let’s use The Four E Method to conceptualize innovative ideas for renovating the so-called large, unwieldly ‘blocks’ of living and survival into more easy, economical, & energy-efficient ‘units’ that will safeguard citizens against the heat.
Solution #01. Reflective Roof Coatings
Specialized coatings such as these successfully lower indoor temperatures. Applying a reflective coating to the roofs of residential and commercial buildings helps protect against seasonal heatwaves and the sun’s intense rays.
- Type & size of area to be coated: ~ $2-$5 /sq. ft.
- Maintenance services: ~ $100-$500 /year for inspections, reapplications, repairs, or etc.
Solution #02. Awnings, Pergolas, & The Like
Installing awnings, pergolas, shade sails, and umbrellas provide shading that shields against direct sunlight in public areas creates cooler environments for human relaxation.
- Type & size of shading structure: ~ $100-$20,000 /structure
- Maintenance services: ~ $100-$500 /year for cleaning, repairs, seasonal adjustments, protective coatings, or etc.
Solution #03. Increase + Sq. Ft. of Urban Gardens
Expanding urban greenery involves planting trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs, and other vegetation such as fruits and vegetables (species that won’t attract pests or encourage rot) in city spaces such as public parks, streets, and plazas, which can help clean the air from pollutants like O3 and CO2.
- Species & size of flora: ~ $10-$2,000 /tree, /plant, or etc.
- Maintenance services: ~ $500-$2,000 /year for watering, pruning, pest control, or etc.
Solution #04. Increase + Sq. Ft. of Green Spaces
Expanding the size of green spaces involves acquiring and developing lands, and requesting additional acreage to be added to residential backyards, community gardens, public parks, and nature reserves, in order to help quell global heating.
- Location, quality, & size of acreage: ~ $5,000-$20,000 /acre
- Maintenance services: ~ $1,000-$5,000 /year for landscaping, mowing, cleaning, upkeep, repairs, or etc.
In Conclusion,
Though some things in life may be within our control — there are equally as many things, if not more, that we believe to not be within our control. One of these things, often believed to be completely ‘out of our hands’ — is planet Earth’s pollution.
How odd, still, that some humans believe themselves separate from the planet they walk upon — that which they cannot perceive from their location.
When this belief, this falsehood, propagates — when it is programmed into the minds’ of the next generations, and onto the next ears that will listen … no one does anything, and nothing ever happens; but one thing: pollution.
Thank you — your engagement with my work is deeply appreciated.
Authored, edited, formatted, and researched by E. Silvers.
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