Ventura County is warming faster than any other county in the contiguous U.S., with neighboring Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties not far behind.
Higher temperatures put the health and well-being of the most vulnerable—including agricultural workers, youth, and the elderly—in serious jeopardy. Animals and plants are also affected.
Experts shared how to prepare for upcoming heat waves at a webinar on June 1 hosted by the Community Environmental Council (CEC) which gathered local and national experts who are on the frontlines of developing solutions. They included CEC’s Executive Director, Sigrid Wright, and its Director of Climate Resilience, Em Johnson, Fabiola Gomez of CAUSE and Kurt Shickman, Director of the Extreme Heat Initiative for Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center.
In 2021, Ventura County experienced 20 extreme heat events – more than any previously recorded years. This year, experts predict that the County will experience approximately 28 “health caution” days where temperatures surpass 90ºF and put vulnerable communities at risk. Within the next 30 years, the number of “health caution” days is expected to increase to 41 days per year.
The speakers discussed how individuals can mobilize to protect those most at risk, and broader solutions in the works that knit a tighter social fabric.
“Extreme heat kills more people per year than any other climate disaster and negatively affects nearly every human activity and society worldwide,” stated Shickman. “The magnitude of the danger cannot be overstated, and the number of people exposed to extreme heat only rises as the world urbanizes.”
Climate Hubs
One action already underway is the establishment of community climate resilience hubs that provide centralized disaster services, support, and education to residents who are most vulnerable or at high risk during disasters. The Santa Barbara Regional Climate Collaborative, in partnership with CEC, received a grant to plan and design a network of these resilience hubs.
In fact, CEC is partnering with Santa Barbara County and several area nonprofits to establish the first three Community Resilience Hubs in our area. These initial hubs will be in Carpinteria, Cuyama, and Santa Barbara.
“Resilience Hubs . . . provide a powerful way to safeguard our communities,” Johnson said. “When disasters occur, these strategically placed Hubs ensure a plan is already in place, so residents know where to go for help. The Hubs will also enable communities to recover, adapt, and continue to thrive in the wake of disasters.”
Strategies like this offer scalable, multi-benefit solutions to climate impacts. CEC has been developing and advocating for such practical solutions to environmental challenges for over half a century, stretching back to the organization’s founding. Community members interested in learning more about how Resilience Hubs and other solutions to extreme heat impacts can be implemented in their region are encouraged to watch the interactive, online event (see links below).
Editor’s note: This event occurred after we went to print, but this important webinar is posted on the Community Environmental Council’s website in English and Spanish. They will be ready to view on June 9. Go here: https://tinyurl.com/CECbeatHeat and https://tinyurl.com/CombateElCalor