How does extreme heat affect farmworkers in Florida?
Source: Huella Zero
People who work in the agricultural sector raise their voices for measures to be taken against climate change, which has raised temperatures recorded in 2024 in the United States. This represents a risk to your health.
Extreme heat disproportionately affects agricultural workers, which may lead to labor shortages in farm-related jobs in Florida.
Agricultural workers undergo long days under the sun. One of the adverse effects of extreme heat is that it causes an overload in body temperature, which prevents body regulation systems, such as perspiration or increased blood flow in the skin to function correctly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 600 people die each year from the direct impact of heat.
Joseph Varón, professor of medicine at the University of Houston and specialist in internal medicine and pulmonology, explained in an interview for the Huella Zero Environmental Research Unit, of the NGO Sachamama, that one of the most serious disorders caused by extreme temperatures are the so-called “heat strokes”, a condition that can cause permanent disability or even death.
The specialist indicated that agricultural employees or those who work outdoors in Florida are exposed to this risk. He detailed the characteristics of heat stroke: red, hot, sweat-free skin; headache, vomiting, body agitation, nausea, seizures, rapid breathing, and rapid heart rate and irritability.
Male assured that body temperature can rise to critical levels until reaching 104 °F or 40 °C.
“Unfortunately it can be fatal in many cases. Imagine that all the cells in your body begin to cook. If you do not treat heat stroke, you can have damage to the brain, heart, kidneys and muscles,” said Joseph Varón.
Extreme temperatures seemed to occur exclusively in states in the central and southern United States. However, extreme heat has been recorded even north of Seattle, Washington state.
Heat waves intensify
The National Weather Service (NWS) assured that the record of heat waves shows that they are more intense and lasting, compared to previous years. This type of phenomenon has affected entire regions, exposing a large number of inhabitants to the dangers of extreme heat.
For meteorologist and founder of ClimaData, John Morales, extreme heat is an irrefutable consequence of global warming.
“Of all the extreme meteorological events that have been occurring, the one that can most certainly be linked to global warming is the issue of heat waves; that is, extreme temperatures that have been occurring with greater frequency, with greater duration and with greater intensity,” stated the expert.
Morales specified that the average temperature of the planet since the industrial era has increased on average 1.2 °C. Although it seems insignificant, this rise has been enough to trigger global meteorological disorders that mean that places not previously accustomed to intense and frequent heat waves now suffer from them.
This climate trend has the potential to worsen in the coming years, but Morales assured that we have time to achieve changes.
Who is more likely to suffer from heat stroke?
Experts agreed that the probability of suffering from heat stroke increases in areas that face social or economic challenges for the following reasons:
● They lack resources to condition the air in their homes
● They live in small homes with little air circulation
● Inhabited areas have minimal tree cover
It is recommended that, given the increase in temperatures, people take care of their hydration, stay in cool areas and seek the shade of trees if they are outdoors; in addition to taking care of your skin with sun protection and avoiding leaving children, older adults or pets alone inside a car.
