Climate Clippings - Heat waves, identity politics, and a green starter palace

New and noteworthy for the week of November 22, 2010

Death comes calling as heat waves strike

It's hard to imagine summertime heat as much of the Northeast braces for a winter storm, but new research quantifies just how much mortality rates spike in the United States during heat waves: 3.75 percent, on average, based on heat waves dating back to 1987 in 43 cities.

The study, published last week by the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, is one of the largest to explore the impacts of prolonged periods of high temperatures. It found that heat wave deaths increased 2.5 percent for each 1ºF increase in heat intensity and 0.4ºF for each additional day a heat wave lasted.

With heat waves expected to increase in duration, intensity and frequency in the future under various climate models, the study could have important ramifications for policy makers, the authors noted.

"Our results indicate that the health impacts of heat waves vary dramatically across communities," said Michelle Bell, an associate professor of environmental health at Yale University and a study co-author. "In order to study how climate change may affect human health, we need to understand these systems in the present day."

The study found longer, more intense heat waves were more common in the South than the North or Midwest, with most heat waves lasting two to three days. Yet mortality impacts were more pronounced in the Northeast and Midwest than compared to the South.

More problematic was trend in timing. In most communities analyzed across the country, the authors found the most intense and lengthy temperature spikes came early in the summer. 

That first heat wave of the season generally saw the biggest spike in deaths, according to the research - a 5 percent increase, versus 2.7 percent for heat waves later in the summer.

Identity politics sacks the climate debate

If you want to encourage empathy from U.S. conservatives on climate mitigation, don't show news stories about farmers in Zimbabwe or Vietnam suffering from the impacts of global warming.

Support for government regulations, taxes and limits on greenhouse gas emissions decreased among Republicans shown fake news clips about foreign climate impacts, according to a new study probing political partisanship, social identity and climate science.

The study, lead by P. Sol Hart of American University in Washington, D.C., will be presented at the American Meteorological Society's annual meeting in January.

Social scientists have long been puzzled by climate science's susceptibility to political polarization and the so-called "boomerang effect," where information tends to generate the opposite impact of what was intended, among the general public. 

For this study, researchers showed 240 subjects from upstate New York a "non-political" news story that focused on the potential health impacts of climate change. The fake news story, based on actual reporting by the Associated Press, explored the potential for global warming to increase the likelihood that those who spent a lot of time outdoors - such as farmers - would be infected by diseases such as West Nile virus.

The fake news clip included pictures and names of 10 farmers potentially at risk. 

But here's the catch: One version of the story identified the farmers as locals, another placed them far away.

For Democrats, researchers said, the out-group news story - and to a lesser degree the in-group story as well - "significantly" increased support for climate mitigation policy. But for Republicans, out-group message exposure significantly decreased support.

The conclusion, according to the researchers, was that news stories discussing climate impacts on groups outside the United States is "likely to amplify partisan divide on climate mitigation strategies" here at home.

New building codes tighten up home efficiency

Overseers of the International Energy Conservation Code have upped minimum standards for energy savings in U.S. buildings starting in 2012, agreeing to a 30 percent improvement in energy savings over the current standard.

The U.S. Department of Energy said the new code takes "monumental strides" in efficiency compared to today's benchmarks, set in 2006, and represents a "significant milestone" toward the agency's goal of achieving a 50 percent increase in energy savings in buildings by 2015 compared to a 2006 baseline.

The code is overseen by the International Code Council, a group of state and local energy and safety code officials as well as building industry representatives and other stakeholders. Members met last month in North Carolina and approved the energy section of building safety and fire prevention codes that set minimum standards for residential and commercial buildings in the United States.

Most states and municipalities adopt or revise their building standards based on the ICC's recommendations.

Highlights in the new criteria, according to the Energy Department, include increased standards in "envelope efficiency;" better duct performance requirements; decreased infiltration in air exchange standards and extra efficiency requirements for cooling towers and so-called HVAC - or heating, venting and air conditioning - systems in commercial buildings.

A green palace for Prince William and his bride-to-be

With speculation about Prince William's engagement finally out of the way, celebrity gossip mongers have moved on to more pressing issues such as the dress Kate Middleton will wear and what sort of stag party royal rebel Prince Harry will throw for his older bro.

Here at DailyClimate.org, the important question is whether the new home for the happy couple will be LEED certified.

Fortunately the British press have a long tradition of covering royal happenings in minute detail, and this certainly is no exception.

A 2007 report in The Telegraph offers a few details about the renovation of Prince Williams' possible starter palace, a six-bedroom property on the grounds of the Duchy of Cornwall's Harewood Park Estate.

The home will apparently include a rainwater cistern, an "eco-friendly reed bed sewage system," hot water solar panels and a biomass furnace. 

The wool will help insulate the roof, while volcanic ash will bolster the two-foot-thick exterior walls.

And in a bid to make the house more energy efficient, the Telegraph reported, the palace will be scaled down form 14,885 square feet to 8,500 square feet.

But worry not, royal watchers: The couple will still live in splendor, with a dining room, sitting room, six reception rooms as well as a kitchen, drawing room, library and orangery downstairs alone.

Compiled by Daily Climate editor Douglas Fischer. Contact him at dfischer [ at ] dailyclimate.org

Photo credits (from top): Wisconsin heat wave deaths from 1982 to 2007, courtesy Manitowoc County Division of Emergency Services; Participants at the Aug. 28, 2010 Glen Beck/Sarah Palin tea party rally in Washington, D.C., courtesy mar is sea Y/flickr; Architect's drawing of royal palace courtesy the Telegraph.

DailyClimate.org is a nonprofit news service covering climate change