Ladd Keith

5 Aug

📬 ICYMI: I started a newsletter. It's called Heatshed, and it's about how we plan for and govern extreme heat. I've written for journals and op-ed pages for years. This is where I get to think in public at the speed the problem moves. #extremeheat #heatshed #heatplanning #heatgovernance

theguardian.comHeat killed ‘staggering’ 50,000 people in Europe’s cities this summer, scientists warnPeople succumbed to heat at highest rates in Malta, Italy and Hungary, with health issues, loneliness and poverty exacerbating toll

🌎🌡️ We must do better: "Heat killed a record 50,000 people in European cities this summer, new research suggests, with scientists blaming climate breakdown for two in every three of the deaths." www.theguardian.com/... #extremeheat #heathealth #heatresilience

Check out our latest @heatresilience.bsky.social newsletter!

UofA Heat Resilience Initiative@heatresilience.bsky.social

Our October newsletter is now available featuring the U of A Sandstorm campaign, new heat resilience project announcements, and important upcoming events. Subscribe to the newsletter by visiting heat.arizona.edu. ☀️ #extremeheat #heatresilience. Read it here: view.comms.arizona.edu?qs=ACJ7ImQiO...

news.arizona.eduSandstorm: Ladd Keith's heat research, grown in Tucson, finds global impactLadd Keith once spent his Tucson summers holing up inside to play hours of video games. Today, he is one of the country's foremost experts on planning for extreme heat, the deadliest weather-related p...

So the wildcat is out of the bag (so to speak): this fall I'm part of the @uarizona.bsky.social's Sandstorm athletic and environmental science campaign! news.arizona.edu/news/sandsto... #universityofarizona #uarizona #sandstorm #heatresilience #beardown

The idea is to connect our research with a broader audience this football season. It also means I had to hold a football for the first time in a few decades for a few photo shoots. 😅 More to come!

Kicked off the #GlobalHeatForum in Bangkok! Started yesterday with the GHHIN Management Committee, and today presented our chapter on long-term planning & governance from the WMO Heat Health Synthesis Report. #ExtremeHeat #ClimateChange

It's incredible to see how much the global heat community has grown and inspiring to be with so many people from around the world working to protect communities from extreme heat. Looking forward to the conversations and collaborations the rest of the week will bring! #HeatHealth #HeatResilience

Just curious, who else is heading to Bangkok for the GHHIN @heathealth.info #GlobalHeatForum?

American Meteorological Society

A day in the life of a planning professor. 😅 Stay tuned... 🐻⬇️

Ladd Keith reposted

@ametsoc.org

The first paper in the U.S. Climate Collection, an AMS-@agu.org initiative supporting assessment-ready climate science, is out! Published in #BulletinAMS & Earth’s Future, the paper highlights key needs for future climate assessments and decision-making. Read more: https://bit.ly/46CTg30

doi.orgResearch Priorities for Robust Climate Assessments in the United StatesA network of climate assessments plays a critical role in synthesizing the state of science to support evidence-based decision-making To support future U.S. and sub-national climate assessments, ...

Remember the Sixth National Climate Assessment (#NCA6)? In April 2025, all of its authors were released, and the report was halted. I was a Southwest chapter author. Many of us former NCA6 authors just published what we could in its place. doi.org/10.1029/2025...

Planners, public health officials, Tribes, and local governments relied on the NCA for decision-making, and right now nothing is filling that role. I'm proud of what we salvaged. Please read and share, and keep asking for a real National Climate Assessment.

Big thank you to Melissa Kenney, @bobkopp.net, @costasamaras.com, and the rest of the author team for their work on this piece!

Ladd Keith reposted

Jesse M. Keenan

@jessemkeenan.com

I'm honored to contribute to this commentary w/ colleagues from across the United States. Big thank you to Melissa Kenney @costasamaras.com @bobkopp.net for their leadership & public service in the advancement of climate scholarship. READ HERE --> agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

Ladd Keith reposted

Bob Kopp

@bobkopp.net

NEW PAPER: In a new paper, jointly published in @agu.org Earth's Future & @ametsoc.org BAMS, and co-led by Melissa Kenney, @costasamaras.com and me, 175 authors outline priorities to guide the future of scientific assessments of climate change in the United States. 🧵

We also call for a network of national, regional, local, and sectoral assessments to keep synthesizing actionable science as impacts accelerate.

What it's not: a replacement for the National Climate Assessment. It doesn't include all vetted authors, has no public or National Academies review, and provides no findings for every region and sector.

What it is: a research priorities roadmap in AGU's Earth's Future. It identifies where the science has advanced since the 2023 NCA5 and where research is still needed.

Examples: compound extremes and cascading risks that overwhelm systems built for one hazard at a time, and the need to keep evaluating whether our climate responses work, including their health, economic, and environmental effects.

19 Sept

I had the opportunity to be the closing speaker at the inaugural #PalmSprings Heat Summit this afternoon and share our research and resources for addressing extreme heat. I'm looking forward to see where their efforts take them next and to support them how I can! #extremeheat #heatresilience

15 Sept

AI apocalypse aside, I just got my first AI agent email for an interview on extreme heat... I'm willing to bet these will overrun professor inboxes in short order. 🤖✉️

npr.orgThis summer was hot. August shattered global heat recordsScientists say that August was the hottest month ever recorded globally. In the U.S., summer temperatures also shattered heat records.

11 Sept

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week announced that for the Lower 48 states, this summer– from June to August– was the warmest in 132 years of record-keeping." www.npr.org/2026/09/10/n... #climatechange #extremeheat

heatshed.substack.comWe don't know if heat action plans are workingA new international evaluation finds that cities track what they did, not what they changed.

4 Sept

Cities are adopting heat action plans faster than ever. We still have almost no evidence that they work. In our new report, we coded 34 plans, evaluated 12 in depth, and interviewed officials. We found that cities track activities, not outcomes. heatshed.substack.com/p/we-dont-kn... #heatactionplan

preparecenter.orgEvaluating the Implementation and Effectiveness of Heat Action PlansExtreme heat is a deadly and growing threat to cities worldwide. As recognition of heat risks increases, local governments have begun developing Heat Action Plans (HAPs) to outline goals, relevant inf...

4 Sept

The full heat action plan report and evaluation tool are available for free at preparecenter.org/resource/eva...

Ladd Keith reposted

PLOS Climate

@plosclimate.org

1 Sept

New research by Ashley Avila, Nicole Iroz-Elardo, Kristina Currans and @laddkeith.com: "A pilot study exploring the effect of vehicular waste heat on personal heat exposure in a semi-arid environment" journals.plos.org/climate/arti...

journals.plos.orgA pilot study exploring the effect of vehicular waste heat on personal heat exposure in a semi-arid environmentUnderstanding the causes of heat in various microclimates in cities is vital to improving human thermal comfort and health in outdoor spaces. This pilot study uses an experimental design to evaluate m...

24 Aug

"Just thinking in your own community, how many dedicated professionals do you have to extreme heat? Probably none." Check out my LinkedIn Live panel on Heat & Health: Co-Creating Resilience with Children & Communities hosted by ChildFund www.linkedin.com/eve... #extremeheat #heatresilience

kvoa.comU of A move-in 2026: Heat can't stop excitement for new WildcatsTUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) - The University of Arizona welcomed nearly 1,500 students on one of the hottest move-in days in the school's history.

21 Aug

New interview with KVOA on how @uarizona.bsky.social kept students and their parents safe on move in day this week. www.kvoa.com/news/local/u... #extremeheat #universityofarizona #beardown

@brenttoderian.bsky.social

21 Aug

"Unfortunately, with climate change we'll continue to see these temperatures increase, and that's why these adaptive measures that the U of A's taking are so critical to keeping people safe."

Ladd Keith reposted

Brent Toderian

16 Aug

I’ve created a handful of them, but this might still be my most unusual STARTER PACK! A team-up with world famous climate scientist @katharinehayhoe.com, these are folks connecting the dots on climate action via better cities! Please follow these great folks and share the pack! go.bsky.app/7Wh2uvp

wbur.orgMass. is second state to appoint heat resilience officerMassachusetts just appointed a heat resiliency officer to coordinate with state government agencies and work with communities to "prepare for rising temperatures, protect public health and reduce the impacts of extreme heat."

14 Aug

Good to see a second state follow Arizona's lead with a state-level chief heat officer position! www.wbur.org/news/20... #extremeheat #heatresilience

8 Aug

“Climate change will manifest as a series of disasters viewed through phones with footage that gets closer and closer to where you live until you're the one filming it.” ... and the Catalinas behind me are on fire again from dry lightning. Photo in nighttime mode. #azwx #tucson #wildfire

7 Aug

Over the years, @sarameerow.bsky.social and I have evaluated many plans to see how well they address extreme heat. In this Global Disaster Preparedness Center project, we explored how heat action plans are actually being implemented and asked officials about their perceived effectiveness.

7 Aug

Check out our new report and the Heat Action Plan Implementation and Effectiveness (HAPIE) Tool we developed to help cities connect their heat goals to measurable outcomes! preparecenter.org/resource/eva... #extremeheat #heatactionplan #heatresilience #heatplanning

heatshed.substack.comHeatshed | Ladd Keith | SubstackHow we plan for and govern extreme heat. Click to read Heatshed, by Ladd Keith, a Substack publication. Launched 6 days ago.

7 Aug

Thanks to our other team members, Saeideh Sobhaninia, Halley Hughes, Maryam Shafiee Shakib, Alekzander Ryan, and Caroline Webster, for their work on the project.

Two posts so far: "What is a 'heatshed'?" Where the term came from, and why heat needs a shared geography the way water does. "Air conditioning is not a guarantee for heat protection." Why 90% AC adoption measures equipment, not protection. heatshed.substack.com #heatshed #heatresilience

heatshed.substack.comAir conditioning is not a guarantee for heat protectionWhat Europe and the United States can learn from each other after this summer's heatwaves.

2 Aug

📬 Wrote a new post for my Heatshed newsletter on air conditioning in Europe and the U.S. and lessons we can learn from each other. I'll post monthly after this, but I had been mulling this one over all summer! heatshed.substack.com/p/air-condit... #airconditioning #extremeheat #heatwave

2 Aug

"So the United States’ lesson for Europe isn’t simply “install units.” It’s that our high adoption rate measures equipment, not necessarily protection, and a country can reach 90% and still not protect everyone."

2 Aug

"Those who can install air conditioning in Europe and across the world will increasingly do so, so let’s make sure we don’t leave behind those who cannot."

heatshed.substack.comWhat is a "heatshed"?What a heatshed is, where the term came from, and what this newsletter will be

30 July

I started a Substack on heat planning and governance! "The causes of extreme heat exceed political boundaries, and the solutions to address it must span sectors and levels of government." Read more and subscribe at heatshed.substack.com/p/what-is-a-... #extremeheat #heatshed

30 July

"That is what a “heatshed” names. It’s the physical and policy scale at which heat actually operates, and therefore the scale at which it has to be planned for and governed."

30 July

My hope is that this will be a faster and more conversational venue to write about extreme heat than my journal articles.

americaadapts.orgExtreme Heat: The Deadliest Climate Hazard Is Also the Most Invisible with Dr. Ladd Keith — AMERICA ADAPTS The Climate Change PodcastExtreme Heat: The Deadliest Climate Hazard Is Also the Most Invisible with Dr. Ladd Keith. Ep. 257.

28 July

🎙️ICYMI: I joined Doug Parsons on the latest episode of the @americaadapts.bsky.social podcast, where we discuss the latest developments in adapting to extreme heat. www.americaadapts.org/episodes/ext... #extremeheat #heatresilience #climateadaptation #climatechange

28 July

"We continue to see these record-breaking heatwaves, [but] they’re still treated like one-off events."

theguardian.com‘Extraordinarily hot’: US heatwave stretches on with millions still under warningsSouthern and central states from California to Mississippi face heat indexes above 100F amid another heat dome

27 July

"‘Extraordinarily hot’: US heatwave stretches on with millions still under warnings" www.theguardian.com/... #extremeheat #heatwave

nytimes.comIt’s So Hot That Japan Needs a New Word for ItJapan this week recorded its first kokushobi, a term that means “cruel heat day,” as temperatures reached 104 degrees. It is not the only country that has scrambled for a new summer vocabulary.

24 July

"Japan this week recorded its first kokushobi, a term that means “cruel heat day,” as temperatures reached 104 degrees. It is not the only country that has scrambled for a new summer vocabulary." www.nytimes.com/2026/07/23/w...

azfb.orgWhat Science Tells Us About Working in Arizona’s HeatAs the push for regulation intensifies, it’s important to understand what we know — and don’t — about farm and ranch work in extreme heat.

24 July

I recently spoke with the Arizona Farm Bureau about rural heat resilience: “Cities have advanced cooling centers, cool pavement and urban greening. But those might not be best strategies for rural farming communities.” www.azfb.org/Article/What... #heatresilience #ruralheat #extremeheat