Heat Risks Expose School Vulnerabilities Canada, UK, US

Extreme heat due to climate change is severely impacting schools and other institutions, prompting calls for urgent action across North America and the UK. In Canada, parents and teachers report that sweltering, smoky classrooms are hindering children's health and learning, with some students suffering physical symptoms and seeking relief in basements, while advocacy groups call for government policies to address this public health crisis. Similarly, teachers' unions in Ontario criticize the provincial government for insufficient air conditioning in schools, highlighting funding challenges faced by school boards and the need for investments to keep classrooms cool. In the UK, a report warns that schools, care homes, and offices are ill-equipped to handle increasing heatwaves, predicting prolonged periods of extreme heat that will exacerbate health risks and reduce productivity without significant adaptation measures. The UK report also highlights that modern buildings are more vulnerable to overheating and stresses the need for climate resilience to be declared a national emergency. Meanwhile, in the US Southeast, the Trump administration has declared a power emergency as a heat wave strains electricity grids, underscoring the widespread challenges posed by rising temperatures.