Environmental Protection City Council 6.17.20
ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, Due to climate change, Illinois is projected to develop a climate similar to the Southern United States over the next 30 years; and
WHEREAS, Intense heat can create respiratory challenges and exacerbate underlying health conditions, including mental health and dehydration; and
WHEREAS, Populations most vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat are similar to those most susceptible to contracting and dying from COVID-19: namely, seniors and individuals with underlying chronic health conditions like cardiovascular and respiratory issues, obesity, asthma, and history of stroke; and
WHEREAS, According to the World Health Organization, the population of individuals aged 60 years and older, who are more likely to spend time at home, is projected to significantly increase in the next 30 years - increased time spent at home and increases in extreme weather patterns associated with climate change highlight the importance of emergency preparedness to reinforce resilient communities; and
WHEREAS, During a heat wave, a healthy person is 3.8 times more likely to experience adverse health effects in an unventilated building than outdoors; and
WHEREAS, In order to avoid the health risks that accompany high temperatures, the indoor temperature of a home should be no hotter than 79 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature reaches or exceeds 84 degrees or when the heat index, which factors in relative humidity, reaches or exceeds 80 degrees; and
WHEREAS, According to the Center for Disease Control, those living in urban areas are likely at greater risk of experiencing effects from prolonged heat waves than those in rural areas; and
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago will never forget and must never repeat the devastating effects ofthe 1995 Chicago Heatwave when 739 mostly black, elderly, low-income Chicagoans died over a period of five days; and
WHEREAS, Access to air conditioning in the summer and access to heat dur...
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