- Patty Loew: DESPITE OUR COOL SPRING AND NOTORIOUS WINTERS,
DID YOU KNOW EXTREME HEAT KILLS MORE PEOPLE
IN OUR STATE THAN ANY OTHER KIND OF SEVERE WEATHER COMBINED?
HEAT PROBLEMS CAN INCREASE WITH URBANIZATION AND POVERTY.
HOW WE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT OUR CITIES
MAY FURTHER FUEL THE PROBLEM.
SO, AS PART OF OUR QUEST ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING PROJECT,
VIDEO PRODUCER FINN RYAN, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS
WITH THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS BOARD
SHOWS YOU THE IMPACT OF EXTREME HEAT
THROUGH THE VOICE OF SPOKEN WORD ARTIST,
ELIJAH FURQUAN, IN MILWAUKEE.
♪ ♪
- ♪ NEIGHBORHOODS ARE OVENS WITH WINDOWS ♪
♪ AND AS THE KNOB ON GLOBAL WARMING INCREASES ♪
♪ LIVES ARE PREHEATED INTO SOUL SOUFFLES ♪
♪ ♪
♪ PANCAKES THAT PROJECTS ARE POURED OVER WITH HUMID AS THICK AS MOLASSES ♪
♪ HEAT AND HUMIDITY ARE THE PERFECT APPETIZER ON DEATH'S PLATE ♪
♪ IT'S AN ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET, FROM MAY TO OCTOBER ♪
♪ WHEN SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT EVERY DAY ♪
♪ ♪
♪ IF THERMOMETERS CAN MEASURE TEMPERATURES ♪
♪ THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO MEASURE HUMAN ANXIETY ♪
♪ AS THE TEMPERATURES RISES, WE REACH BOILING POINTS ♪
♪ ATTITUDES OF THOSE AROUND US RISE QUICKER THAN MERCURY ♪
♪ AND THE PRESSURE OF STAYING COOL CAUSES US TO EXPLODE ♪
♪ COMPRESSED LIVING COMPLEX, THEY CIRCULATE HEAT ♪
♪ AND CAUSE COMPRESSED FEELINGS TO CONVERGE ♪
♪ UPON OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE HOOD ♪
♪ ♪
♪ SO THAT 90% RELEASE OF EXCESS BODY HEAT ♪
♪ TALKED ABOUT IN SCIENCE CLASS ♪
♪ IS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR LOCAL TEMPERATURE RISING ♪
♪ WE CRACK OPEN FIRE HYDRANTS UNTIL WE HEAR LIGHTS CRYING ♪
♪ RAISING TAXES BY LOWERING OUR BODY TEMPERATURE ♪
♪ ♪
♪ AND IF YOU COULDN'T AFFORD THE WIND REPLACER ♪
♪ FRIDGES AND FREEZERS WERE PROPPED OPEN ♪
♪ UNTIL YOUR TWO BROTHERS' FACES ARE FROZEN ♪
♪ ♪
♪ AUDIENCES APPLAUD THE ICE CREAM MAN ♪
♪ ONCE THAT FAMILIAR JINGLE MINGLES WITH OUR EARS ♪
♪ THE SWEET RELEASE OF FLOODED HEAT IS A GODSEND ♪
♪ WHAT DO YOU KNOW? ♪
♪ THE ICE CREAM VENDOR'S NAME IS NOAH ♪
♪ ♪
♪ AS THE TEMPERATURE RISES, SO DO ATTITUDES ♪
♪ DEATH RATES, BILLS, AND ICE CREAM STOCKS ♪
♪ HEAT EFFECTS THE ELDERLY MORE THAN US ♪
♪ THEIR LUNGS RESEMBLE THE DOW EXCHANGE ♪
♪ RISES AND DROPS UNTIL THEY CRASH ♪
♪ AMBULANCES ARE SUMMONED, RIDING DOWN THE STREETS ♪
♪ FLOODED WITH THE CONTENTS OF THE ONLY FIRE HYDRANT ♪
♪ ♪
♪ WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN TO FRY ♪
♪ ♪
- ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, CONDUCTED BY
THE WISCONSIN INITIATIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS,
EXTREME HEAT EVENTS ARE PROJECTED TO BECOME
MORE FREQUENT AND LONGER LASTING.
BY THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTURY,
WISCONSIN IS EXPECTED TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL FOUR WEEKS
WHERE TEMPERATURES SOAR PAST 90 DEGREES.