Concerns rise about USC climate preparedness amid heat wave

Heat warnings have been in effect in Southern California from Aug. 31 to Sept. 8, yet many USC students have no choice but to commute to and across campus on foot.

“[The heat] is kind of oppressive,” says Neel Tangella, an undergraduate student. “Sometimes I will duck into buildings for 5, 10 minutes to get out of the heat.”

The UV index of Los Angeles today reached level nine, meaning people could get sunburned when exposed to sunlight for seven to eight minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

Extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense, which leaves those walking across campus vulnerable to heat strokes, dehydration and other heat-related health issues. USC has taken several steps to protect students from extreme heat, but experts say that longer term measures need to be put in place to keep up with rapidly changing weather conditions.

USC Environmental Health & Science published a heat advisory Sept. 1 providing cooling information on campus through a campus-wide email to all students and faculty.

While USC provides resources like air-conditioned buildings during weekdays. Esther Marguiles, a landscape planning professor at USC, suggests that the school should consider keeping more cooling centers open during the weekend and do more to combat the heat.

Some students also think there should be more covered areas in between buildings around campus. “There’s not enough shade. I’m sweating so much,” said Magdalayna Drivas, a PhD student. Drivas said that some buildings are not well air-conditioned enough to provide relief.

Professor Marguiles encourages USC to look at species of trees that can provide a good quality of shade coverage and adding covered outdoor spaces to future development plans.

“A canopy of shade can cool pavement about 30 degrees [Fahrenheit] compared to exposed surfaces,” said Marguiles. While planting trees and increasing shaded outdoor space are viable long-term solutions, it does not satisfy current canopy needs.

Another need for the heat is hydration. USC published a map that shows USC has 211 water bottle refill stations across UPC and HSC campus to keep students hydrated. Yet, many students are unaware of these stations. Computer Science student Diya Pathak thinks a visible sign pointing towards the water stations could be beneficial.

“I feel like [the school] should advertise more water bottle filling stations,” said Pathak. Pathak recalled that she and her friends once had to walk in the heat for quite a while and search for water refills.

As carbon emissions continue to rise, extreme heat events will become common in Southern California and people’s resilience against heat will decrease. “When people can’t cool down, the risk of [getting] heat stroke is much much higher,” said Victoria Petryshyn, a climate scientist at USC.