Leaders | Global warming
经济学人社论｜全球变暖
Leaders | Global warming
Simple steps to stop people dying from heatwaves
As much of the world roasts, don’t despair
WHEN A HEATWAVE in Europe killed more than 70,000 people in 2003, it was seen as a once-in-a-millennium event. Today, experts say, such blistering heat can be expected once a decade. Worldwide, last year the months of June, July and August were the hottest on record. August 2023 was on average 1.5°C hotter than the same month between 1850 and 1900. This year could be even worse.2003年，热浪侵袭欧洲，导致7万人死亡，当时人们认为这是千年一遇的偶然事件。如今，专家们却称这样的酷热每十年就会发生一次。在全球范围内，去年6、7、8三个月是有记录以来最热的月份。2023 年 8 月的平均气温比 1850年至 1900年同期高1.5°C。今年的情况可能更糟。The bad news is on every screen this summer. In Saudi Arabia, as temperatures hit 50°C in the shade, 1,300 of the pilgrims who flocked to Mecca for the hajj have died. On June 23rd 100m Americans were living in areas subject to heat warnings, with Baltimore and Philadelphia approaching a scorching 40°C. Indians suffered 40,000 cases of heatstroke between March and mid-June, with Delhi recently enduring 40 consecutive days over 40°C. Far from being a series of freak events, this is the new normal.今夏的坏消息比比皆是。沙特阿拉伯阴凉处的气温都高达 50°C，已有1300 名前往麦加朝圣的朝圣者死亡。6月23日，有1亿美国人生活在高温预警区域，巴尔的摩和费城的气温接近 40 °C。3月至6月中旬期间，印度中暑人数达4万，德里最近连续40天气温超过40°C。持续高温已不再是异常情况，而成为了新常态。The good news, however, is that even as temperatures soar, deaths can be avoided and economic disruption can be minimised. Rich, hot places such as Phoenix, Kuwait and Singapore are adapting, as did parts of Europe after that heatwave two decades ago. Rather than swooning helplessly, the rest of the world should look and learn. The basic idea is simple: get people out of the sun and into the cool.而好消息是，即使气温飙升，通过采取适当措施，死亡事件可以避免，经济损失也可以降到最低。菲尼克斯、科威特和新加坡等炎热的富裕地区已经开始努力适应（高温），而欧洲的部分地区在二十年前被热浪袭击之后也开始着手应对。与其坐以待毙地等着被热晕，世界其他地区也应该跟着多看多学（行动起来）。基本思路很简单：远离太阳地，到凉爽的地方去。Extreme heat can cause heatstroke, heart problems and dehydration. Populations that are not used to it are more vulnerable. So are the elderly, whose health is often fragile and who find it harder, if stuck, to move somewhere cooler. And the poor suffer most: they are more likely to labour in the sun and live in cramped, ill-ventilated homes. A Mumbai slum can be 6°C hotter than nearby apartments.极度高温会导致中暑、心脏问题以及脱水等问题。不适应高温的人群更容易中招。老年群体身体通常更加脆弱，一旦中暑，很难立即转到阴凉处。最受酷暑折磨的是贫困人口：他们更可能在烈日底下劳作，且他们的住所通常狭小闭塞、通风不良。孟买贫民窟的平均温度比附近的公寓整整高出6°C。Air conditioning, where affordable, is part of the answer. If powered by renewable energy, it is not bad for the climate, and it can save lives. A study in the Lancet concluded that there were 345,000 heat-related deaths worldwide in 2019 among the over-65s, and that the toll would have been 50% higher without air conditioning. So environmentalists are wrong to shun this wonderful technology. Since the organisers of the Paris Olympics decided not to install air conditioners in athletes’ quarters, many teams will simply bring their own.在经济条件允许的情况下，空调是解决措施之一。如果是可再生能源发电，那么它既不会影响气候，也能挽救生命。《柳叶刀》的一项研究指出，2019年，在全球65岁以上人群中，死于高温相关原因的人数达到了34.5万，如果没有空调，该死亡人数还会上升50%。因此，环保主义者对这项出色科技的排斥是错误的。由于巴黎奥运会的主办方决定不在运动员宿舍内安装空调，很多队伍干脆自带空调。Rethinking how cities are built can help, too. Architects in Singapore design buildings to funnel wind around the city, while a vast tree-planting effort provides shade and retains moisture.However, it takes time and a mountain of cash to redesign a city. That is why quicker, cheaper fixes are needed.重新构思城市建设方式也有所帮助。新加坡建筑师通过设计建筑引导风在城市周围流通的路径，同时大力植树造林，为城市提供阴凉并保持湿度。然而，重新设计一座城市需要大量的时间和资金。由此，我们需要更快速、成本更低的解决措施。Three stand out. First, workplaces and schools need to be more flexible. In America states such as California and Washington have rules that mandate shade and water breaks for outdoor workers when it is excessively hot. More places need similar guidelines. Also, children should be allowed to study from home and public events should be cancelled when the temperature is too high.以下三项措施脱颖而出。第一，工作场所和学校的制度需要更加灵活。美国加利福尼亚州和华盛顿州等地有明确规定，户外工作者在高温天气必须有乘凉和饮水休息的时间。类似的规定需要在更多地方实行。此外，当户外温度过高时，应允许儿童居家学习，并取消公共活动。The second step is to create more chilled public spaces to provide relief and refuge. Some American cities have “cooling centres”—as do others in India and Vietnam. Often these are ordinary buildings with air conditioning, from libraries to offices, that can temporarily be opened to all. Even simple adaptations can make a difference: painting a roof white can cut indoor temperatures by several degrees.第二步是建设更多凉爽的公共空间，用于降温避暑。一些美国城市有“纳凉中心”，印度和越南的一些城市也有。这些通常是带空调的普通建筑，从图书馆到办公室，都可以临时向所有人开放。即使是简单的改变也能带来不同：将屋顶刷成白色可以使室内温度降低几度。Cool it
Finally, governments and citizens need to be better prepared, particularly in places that are unused to roasting temperatures. After the emergency in 2003 France was shocked into creating a national plan for heatwaves, with an early-warning system and guidelines on everything from sporting events to training medical staff.During a record-breaking heatwave in 2019, the country had 90% fewer casualties than in 2003.最后，政府和市民需要做好更充分的准备，尤其是在那些不习惯高温炙烤的地方。法国震惊于2003年的欧洲热浪，制定了一项国家抗暑热计划，包括建立预警系统和规定全面的指导方针，覆盖体育赛事、医务人员培训等各个领域。在2019年破纪录的热浪中，该国伤亡人数比2003年减少了90%。Rules should be set by central governments, but the responsibility to enact them should be delegated to cities and towns. Because extreme heat varies according to local conditions, they are best placed to sound the alarm, and citizens can hold local governments accountable if they fail to plan properly. Baking summers are now inevitable. Escalating suffering and deaths are not.规则应该由中央政府制定，但执行规则的责任应该下放给城镇。由于极端高温因地而异，当地政府最适合发出相应警报，如果规划不当，公民可以追究地方政府的责任。难逃炎炎夏日，但可以逃过不断加剧的痛苦和死亡。翻译组：
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