Climate Change

Kansas City is on track to break its homicide record this year, and a rise in gun violence has caused another disturbing trend: Hundreds of people every year are shot and survive. They're often left with severe physical and mental injuries. Plus: Kansas City and other places in the Midwest are slow to embrace composting.

Food waste takes up space in landfills and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Composting that waste can reduce climate impacts and save municipalities money on landfill fees, but concerns about bad smells and pests sometimes get in the way.

Climate data suggests heat waves might be getting more frequent. Inconsistent building codes and the cost of implementing climate resilient practices mean that many homes aren't prepared to keep us cool in hazardous heat.

Americans are becoming less and less likely to believe our fellow citizens are trying to do the right thing, and that has added to the crisis facing rural health care. Plus: Are Midwest homes prepared for more scorching summer days?

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska are part of an emerging “extreme heat belt” that could deliver more scorching days within 30 years. So far, there’s no unified plan to make our dwellings safe in the dangerously high temperatures to come.

Sustainability leaders are trying to make Kansas City the greenest place in the country. With an overall goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the KC Regional Climate Action Plan covers 80% of the region's population.

A climate action plan for the Kansas City region set a goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This Saturday, local leaders and community members will gather for a climate summit to celebrate what's already been achieved and identify goals for the future.

Una quinta parte de las muertes de trabajadores relacionadas con el calor registradas entre 2017 y 2022 fueron trabajadores agrícolas, según datos de la OSHA. Académicos, especialistas en salud ocupacional y grupos de defensa están llamando la atención sobre el impacto poco reportado del cambio climático en este grupo por las olas de calor.

A fifth of reported heat-related deaths between 2017 and 2022 were agricultural workers, according to OSHA data. Academics, occupational health specialists and advocacy groups are calling attention to the under-reported impact of climate change on this group from heatwaves.

July 2023 marked the hottest month on record. As climate conditions worsen and extreme weather events spread across the globe, so do uncommon diseases. Health experts warn of the health consequences of not addressing climate change.

It’s a newer consideration for environmentalists, who previously thought that river systems were relatively benign and don’t contribute many greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change will continue to raise temperatures in urban areas like Kansas City. But planting more vegetation and using more reflective building materials can help cool things down.