What Are We Going to Do About These Heat Waves? Lessons from India

Heat waves are arriving earlier, lasting longer, and reaching further into daily life. So what do we do before the next one arrives? Climate researcher Kartikeya Bhatotia joins Green Frequency to explain what decades of research and experimentation in India can teach a rapidly warming world. Drawing on Critical Perspectives on Extreme Heat in India, he explores why heat is more than a temperature, how housing, labor, gender, health, and access to cooling shape exposure, and why adaptation cannot be reduced to air conditioning or emergency alerts. The conversation moves through India’s pioneering heat action plans, anticipatory finance, passive cooling, parametric insurance, and the idea of a “cool economy.” India emerges not only as a country facing extreme heat, but as a source of adaptation knowledge. These strategies do not replace a fossil fuel phaseout; they show how governments can protect people from the heat already here, before the worst arrives. Episode Guest: Kartikeya BhatotiaRead the full report hereConnect with Kartikeya hereFollow Kartikeya’s SubstackExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.