As temperatures rise in Southern California, efforts to map heat in the Imperial Valley are crucial for protecting farmworkers from hyperthermia, ensuring their safety and health during agriculture work.
- Raul Cruz, a farmworker in the Imperial Valley, begins his day at 4 a.m. to avoid extreme heat, which can reach triple digits during the summer months.
- Research from San Diego State University emphasizes the urgent need to safeguard farmworkers from hyperthermia, especially as climate change exacerbates heat risks in agriculture.
- The increase in greenhouse gas emissions from coal, petroleum, and natural gas contributes to rising temperatures, directly impacting the safety of farmworkers in Southern Californias agricultural sector.
Why It Matters
This initiative to map heat in Californias fields highlights the urgent need to protect vulnerable farmworkers from the health risks of hyperthermia, reflecting broader concerns about climate change and its effects on agriculture and labor safety.