About this episode
In episode 207 of America Adapts, Dr. Kelly Turner of UCLA and Dr. Ladd Keith at the University of Arizona join host Doug Parsons to discuss groundbreaking work in extreme heat governance and planning, specifically focusing on the recent NOAA grant awarded to launch the Center for Heat Resilient Communities. The grant aims to enhance heat resilience in communities by encouraging connections between stakeholders and the federal government, with a heavy emphasis on climate justice and environmental justice as part of President Biden's Justice40 initiative. The discussion also covers federally funded research programs supporting rural and tribal communities with heat resilience, mapping shade equity nationally, and initiatives on indoor cooling. Kelly and Ladd encourage involvement in the field of heat policy and governance, inviting individuals to reach out and engage with the three year project. Topics covered: NOAA Grant Overview Biden Administration's Role Principals and Key Partners/Community Partnerships Heat Resilient Communities Framework Evaluating Heat Resilience Policies Training Future Heat Leaders Funding and Support for Communities Climate and Environmental Justice Media Coverage of Extreme Heat Plug for Other Research Programs for Kelly and Ladd Call to Action: Visit heat.gov Principal Researchers for the Grant: Dr. V. Kelly Turner, UCLA (lead) Dr. Ladd Keith, University of Arizona Dr. Sara Meerow, Arizona State University Transcript of episode available here. Quotes from the episode: Dr. Kelly Turner: Really, there are two main goals. One is to to create a robu