By Samantha Fields

It’s been a hot summer in much of the country so far. July was the third hottest on record for the country, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. And there’s another heat wave hitting parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California this week.

“If you’re working in a large warehouse, or if you’re a UPS truck driver, or if you’re doing construction, you’re directly exposed to really high temperatures,” said Amir Jina, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.

Extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable, Jina said. “It can also make you more sluggish, it can make you more prone to errors, it can affect your health.”

The threshold where heat starts to really affect how well people can focus and work, is roughly 90 degrees. “Above that, we just start to see the hours that people work being eaten away,” Jina said.

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Areas of Focus: Environment
Definition
Environment
Producing and using energy damages people’s health and the environment. EPIC research is quantifying the social costs of energy choices and uncovering policies that help protect health while facilitating growth.
Environmental Health
Definition
Environmental Health
Energy and industrial processes introduce toxins into the environment. EPIC research is helping to educate policymakers and consumers on the social and economic costs of this pollution, and the potential...