The heat is on
In a detailed presentation posted on the Climate Change portion of its website, our weather bureau PAGASA states: “The Philippines, like most parts of the globe, has also exhibited increasing temperatures... Observed mean temperature anomalies (or departures from the 1971-2000 normal values) during the period 1951 to 2010 indicate an increase of 0.648°C or an average of 0.0108°C per year-increase.
“All areas of the Philippines will get warmer, more so in the relatively warmer summer months. Mean temperatures in all areas in the Philippines are expected to rise by 0.9°C to 1.1°C in 2020 and by 1.8°C to 2.2°C in 2050. Likewise, all seasonal mean temperatures will also have increases in these time slices; and these increases during the four seasons are quite consistent in all parts of the country. Largest temperature increase is projected during the summer (March-aprilmay) season.
“Hot temperatures will continue to become more frequent in the future. [Projections] show that the number of days with maximum temperature exceeding 35°C (following value used by other countries in the Asia Pacific region in extreme events analysis) is increasing in 2020 and 2050.
“A warmer world is certain to impact on systems and sectors; although, magnitude of impacts will depend on factors such as sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacity to climate risks. In most cases, likely impacts will be adverse.”
The presentation may have been first presented prior to 2020, but the predictions seem to be spot on. Manila is toasting, with many other cities or municipalities roasting in 40-up degree heat indices.
Those with low regard or awareness in science have immediately made the problem about the weakness of today’s generation, and the perceived resilience of generations past. In their simple minds, there had been hot summers before, and they endured those long, scalding days. The problem is, the temperatures and heat indices nowadays are actually higher than before. Surely, they won’t be able to do what they used to do in today’s oppressive heat.
Some romanticize about the summertime campaign period of 2022, but I think we cared less about the heat at the time. We simply enjoyed our escapes after extra-long pandemic quarantines, and many got heavily invested in candidates’ campaigns. Not bad.
Official state reactions to the heat wave are sparse. In many cities and municipalities, mayors have ordered a shift to purely-online classes, purportedly to steer classes away from unventilated and therefore unbearably hot classrooms. Exactly how more comfortable city dwellings (usually small and cramped) are, the authorities do not say anything.
People are largely left to themselves on how to manage the heat wave. People flock to shopping malls to take advantage of airconditioning. Appliance stores are offering airconditioners and air coolers on installment, for those willing or able to shoulder additional expenses. The truly-privileged centralized airconditioning in their mansions, townhouses, and penthouses. Or they could flee to their summer residences or even abroad to cooler climes.
Because what’s important now is daily survival, there are still no sufficient opportunities to sit down and seriously look into how this increasing heat impacts on agriculture and endangers the lives and livelihood of farmers and farm workers. Perhaps we should also guarantee full health benefits and differentials for riders, delivery workers, messengers, construction workers, and others whose work require them to be out in the sun.
The rising temperatures should provide an opportunity for interior designers, architects, engineers and scientists to think of new types of dwellings and buildings that would protect us from heat, while not contributing to the problem.
This is also an opportunity for our climate and social scientists to take center stage, to educate us and raise our awareness about climate change and its economic, environmental, and political causes.
Some would say that we should just pray for rain and cooler weather. But Pope Francis himself came out in 2015 with Laudato Si, a historic encyclical on climate change and about the care of the earth as our “common home.” Prayers and airconditioners are not enough. Awareness, action, and fairness on a global scale are what’s needed.
This is also an opportunity for our climate and social scientists to take center stage, to educate us and raise our awareness about climate change and its economic, environmental, and political causes.