Too Hot to Handle? Rethinking Extreme Heat Risk

What makes heat extreme, and who is really at risk? In this episode of People, Places, Planet, host Natalie Triana speaks with Ashley Ward, Director of Duke University’s Heat Policy Innovation Hub, about why extreme heat is one of the most dangerous and underestimated hazards facing communities across the United States —and why responding to it requires thinking beyond temperature alone.

From increasingly warm nights and rising cooling costs to strains on energy, agriculture, and infrastructure, the conversation explores why heat is more than a weather event and just how far its risks extend. Dr. Ward challenges common assumptions about who is really at risk, why hot nights and cumulative exposure matter, and whether air conditioning is enough to keep people safe. She also examines the current policy landscape, including growing state and local action, gaps in federal coordination, and the need for stronger collaboration among governments, businesses, and communities. This episode provides a broader understanding of extreme heat as a cross-cutting, growing risk that touches nearly every part of daily life.

Timestamps:

02:24 — What Makes Heat “Extreme”?

04:09 — Why Extreme Heat Is So Dangerous

08:22 — Who Is Most Vulnerable to Heat?

10:15 — Why Hot Nights Matter

12:20 — Beyond Air Conditioning

14:37 — Is the Heat Index Enough?

18:49 — Heat Policy in the United States

24:40 — The Private Sector’s Role in Heat Resilience

28:29 — What Individuals and Communities Can Do