SAMMinistries has tracked deaths within the unhoused community for years. Their CEO thinks extreme heat may have directly caused dozens of deaths and contributed to even more during 2023’s unprecedented heatwave. There is no local research initiative that can prove them right or wrong.
Albert Garcia died beneath a highway offramp after living unsheltered for nearly a month during San Antonio’s hottest summer on record. A decision not to include heat as a contributing factor has sparked debate.
With climate planning in motion, City of El Paso has only a few months to produce a plan in order to qualify for major EPA support, says head of the city’s sustainability office.
On August 12, 2023, after enduring nearly a month of triple-digit temperatures Garcia, at age 56, passed away. Residents are now seeking to hold city and state agencies accountable for his death.
Deceleration speaks with Texas AFL-CIO Deputy Policy Director Ana Gonzalez about extreme heat, worker deaths, and fighting forward in the midst of a climate emergency.
As many as one in four U.S. residents live with a disability, increasing their risk of injury or death from climate-driven disasters. Yet disaster planning efforts have largely failed to account for the needs of those with greater physical or cognitive challenges.
