Heat Policy Brief Series
California has not historically treated extreme heat as a social equity and public health crisis — a crisis that requires targeted and consistently funded action to save lives. Now, the state’s 2022 Extreme Heat Action Plan includes many important goals.
Our three policy briefs can help achieve goals in the plan and inform upcoming policy and budget decisions. The first policy brief summarizes five recommendations for the state to advance an equitable, evidence-based approach to heat mitigation and adaptation. Given that we spend most of our time at home, the second brief spotlights three recommended actions to protect Californians where we live. The third brief zeros in on actions to protect vulnerable students with heat-resilient schools.
Policy Brief Authors
- Colleen Callahan, co-executive director
- Lauren Dunlap, graduate student researcher
- Michelle Gallarza, graduate student researcher
- Rae Spriggs, manager of climate action research
- V. Kelly Turner, co-director
Heat-Resilient Schools Resource Kit
Following on the third and final policy brief, in October 2023, our team released a Heat-Resilient Schools Resource Kit: a set of fact sheets and infographics to help communicate the key challenges heat poses to schools, solutions that can address heat inequities, and the top areas we see for the state to take action.
Fact Sheet and Infographic Authors
- V. Kelly Turner, associate director
- Ruth Engel, project manager
- Lauren Dunlap, associate project manager
Funding Acknowledgements
Funding for this policy brief series, and the subsequent fact sheets and infographics, was provided by the Resources Legacy Fund. The policy briefs also drew from research supported by the Strategic Growth Council’s Climate Change Research Program.
