Checks and Balance: The heat is on

Checks and Balance from The Economist

The Economist

Politics, News & Politics, News, Us Politics

4.6 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2023

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s hot. Over the past month millions of Americans have been sweltering in fierce temperatures. Around a third of the population lives in places where the government has recently issued warnings about extreme heat. How can American cities prepare for an even hotter future?

The Economist’s Oliver Morton tells us what causes heat waves. Jeff Goodell, author of “The Heat Will Kill You First”, charts how the invention of air conditioning changed the locus of political power in America. And David Hondula, Phoenix’s Chief Heat Officer, describes how his city is preparing for a future of scorching summers.

John Prideaux hosts with Idrees Kahloon and Aryn Braun.

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Transcript

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0:27.2	Alfonso was getting some odd phone calls.
0:37.2	They were all from strangers and angry ones at that.
0:41.1	A farmer blamed Alfonso for the failure of his strawberry crop.
0:45.0	Some people just swore at him.
0:46.8	They all asked him to please, please, stop the rain.
0:51.3	He was confused. He was just a regular guy, a former navy man,
0:55.4	enjoying his retirement in a small town in California.
0:59.2	And then the penny dropped.
1:01.5	There was a reason Alfonso was being blamed for the storms battering the west coast.
1:06.5	He wasn't listed as Alfonso in the phone book, he was Al and his surname was Nino.
1:12.4	The irate callers had confused Al Nino for the weather phenomenon causing the terrible weather,
1:18.4	El Nino.
1:19.9	This summer, El Nino is one of the reasons why the heatwaves causing such misery across America
1:26.4	and around the world are bringing such high temperatures.
1:30.2	I'm John Prado and this is Checks and Balance from the Economist.
	...

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