Climate predicament and housing: Quantifying the impact of the crisis on Austrians' living conditions
Heating Up: Austria's sweltering apartments and the climate crisis
Let's get real: two-thirds of Austrian homes become ovens during a heatwave. Greenpeace says, "Climate change turns our apartments into virtual saunas, particularly in unclean or badly maintained buildings." According to a survey they commissioned, it's the truth. The government needs to beef up renovations, and property owners oughtta step it up too, Greenpeace urges.
So why the sweat? The searing heat disrupts sleep, harms health, and lowers quality of life, Greenpeace's climate and energy expert, Marc Dengler, declares. "Our cities and buildings lack greenery, shade, and insulation. The federal government must fund renovations, and it's crucial to hold property owners accountable and ensure heat protection is enshrined in law," reads a press release.
Sweat through the summer: coping with heatwaves
Cities and homes lacking green spaces, shade, and insulation—that's the gist. What's more, 80% of respondents in the survey (1,000 Austrians, ages 16-75) reported physical consequences during heatwaves. Wider segments of the population bear the brunt, including the elderly and kiddos. One-fifth even reported cardiovascular problems, and heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe, Greenpeace points out.
Record-breaking heat?
One in eighteen apartment dwellers finds their homes unbearably hot during heatwaves, the survey reveals. Unsanitary residences are hardest hit. Building types? Forty-six percent live in single-family or row homes, 43% below the attic, and 11% in attic apartments.
Ventilate Austria: sealing, greening, and renaturing
More than half of the respondents want Austria to become greener, cooler, and more natural to tackle the heat. Four out of ten desire significant state investments in thermal renovations. But, Greenpeace criticizes the current trend of budget cuts that might derail the very measures needed.
Tips for battling heatwaves:
- Insulate your abode
- Encourage energy-efficient air conditioning or evaporative cooling systems, especially in urban areas
- Use smart windows with low-e coatings to reduce heat gain
- Plant more trees, nurture urban green spaces for evapotranspiration
- Adopt green roofs to counter urban heat islands
- Implement cool pavement technologies to minimize heat absorption
- Offer financial incentives for building owners to improve insulation and install cooling systems
- Invest in public green spaces and urban forestry initiatives
- Enforce stricter building codes requiring energy-efficient, heat-resistant materials.
- The concerning effects of climate change extend beyond the environmental-science realm, affecting mental-health and health-and-wellness as well, particularly during heatwaves.
- The lack of greenery, shade, and insulation in cities and homes not only increases temperatures but also negatively impacts sleep quality and overall health, according to Greenpeace's climate and energy expert, Marc Dengler.
- To combat the harsh effects of heatwaves, it's essential to invest in heat protection through renovations, as well as encourage the use of energy-efficient cooling systems, planting more trees, and adopting green roofs, among other health-promoting solutions.
