Contradictory the cliches surrounding a “heatwave” , the effects of heat on the human body can be extreme, especially without access to proper hydration and cooling resources. The body reacts to extreme heat in many different ways, including, but limited to: dehydration, fatigue, heat rash, heart palpitations, fainting, nausea, vomiting and even stroke. During the extreme heat wave in Chicago, summer of 1995, there was an excessive use of air conditioners as a method of cooling, due to this many low income areas experienced power outages along with little to no water pressure due to the use of fire hydrants as a means of cooling down. The CDC states that the elderly are especially sensitive to the effects of extreme heat due to their likelihood of having pre-existing medical conditions that may inhibit their bodies natural cooling tendencies. Separately, young child also have weakened defenses to the effects of extreme heat due to dehydration and a faster constant heart rate. The effects of the heat wave of 1995 gave Chicago a brutal reality check. It is often to easy to forget those that are not in your immediate line of sight or interaction, however, it is nowhere near as easy to ignore concentrated death of both the young and elderly. Through this deadly experience, the needs of communities that are not always in a position to express their needs on a platform that society is willing to listen to. Throughout the history of the United States there has always been an ongoing battle for equal treatment as well as the enfranchisement of people of color and the neighborhoods they reside in. The great movements and organizations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, would eventually lead those who fought for freedom to push for legislation that would make genuine change. It was clear during the summer of 1995 how important the fight for equity and equal distribution resources still was, and what the next steps for change may have to look like in Chicago, as well as other areas of the country that have also seen a disparity of these proportions. During the heatwave of 1995, resource disparity became more clear through the areas that had access to cooling centers, as well as the concentrated need of emergency resources in the same areas that were experiencing power outages and lack of water. Despite the amplified attention to these low income areas, the death toll still rose steadily with the heat.
In accordance with this timeline, during July of 1995 the city of Chicago was being “exposed” to the disparity of resource allocation in a truly undeniable way. As the heatwave moved throughout the city and the death toll rose day by day, it became clear to many of the citizens that they were lacking access to resources that may seem insignificant, but had the power to save hundreds of lives during the month of July alone. As the death toll rose in specific areas of the city, news outlets began to investigate and bring to light the facts of the situation. Politicians, like Mayor Richard M. Daley, attempted to shrink and denounce the extent of the heatwave with blanket statements such as, “But let’s not blow this out of proportion... [...] You cannot claim that everyone that has died in the last eight or nine days dies of heat. Then everybody that dies in the summer will die of heat.” Statements like these would go on to crucially sway the public debate and skew people’s ideas of the real issue at hand. Watch this news report on the heatwave of 1995 and then answer the questions below. -
In which neighborhoods were deaths mentioned?
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What was the rationale given for the illegal use of fire-hydrants?
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What possible rationale would Richard M. Daley might have given pertaining to the fainting children?
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What were the greater effects of the excessive use of fire-hydrants and air-conditioners? What new issues resulted because of this?
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What other resources were compromised due to the spiked need of emergency care and resources?
Throughout this chapter, you have come across bolded words. First reflect and come up with your definitions of each word, then look at the definitions below, how do they compare? What differs between the dictionary definition and your own?
Enfranchisement - noun: the giving of a right or privilege Disparity - noun: a great difference Equity - noun: the quality of being fair and impartial
Works Cited “The 1995 Heat Wave Reflected Chicago's ‘Geography of Vulnerability.’” ChicagoNow Is Full of Win, www.chicagonow.com/chicago-muckrakers/2011/07/the-1995-heat-wave-reflected-c hicagos-geography-of-vulnerability/. Dying Alone in the Heat Wave, an Interview with Eric Klinenberg, www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/443213in.html. “Natural Disasters and Severe Weather.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 June 2017, www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/older-adults-heat.html. Schreuder, Cindy. “The 1995 Chicago Heat Wave.” Chicagotribune.com, 14 July 2015, www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/chi-chicagodays-1995heat-storystory.html. Thomas, Mike. “How 739 People Died in a Chicago Heat Wave.” Chicago Magazine, www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/July-2015/1995-Chicago-heat-wave/. University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “How Heat Affects the Body.” Agriculture and Natural Resources - University of California, ucanr.edu/News/Heat/How_heat_affects_the_body/.