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summer

How To Stay Safe While Traveling During Another Record-Breaking Hot Summer 

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This summer is set to break records yet again when it comes to extremely high temperatures. During peak travel season, experts are giving their best advice on how to stay safe and ensure travelers still enjoy their much deserved vacations. 

A developing El Nino event could cause temperatures to continue to rise this summer, later in the year, and next summer as well. Life-threatening heat exhaustion and stroke are some of the biggest concerns for travelers. 

Dr. Alexander Azan, who co-directs the Project HEATWAVE initiative, discussed how travelers can take precautions to ensure they get the best out of their vacations while staying safe. 

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“The same way that we prepare for more extreme travel in the cold, we should start to consider those tips to keep us safe in the summer months.”

Azan continued to advise that before you leave for your trip, check the air temperatures for both day and night, as well as the heat index as that takes humidity into account. 

It’s important to remain flexible when it comes to your schedule as well. When the temperatures do get to that higher level, prioritize spending time in cooler areas along the coast or at higher elevations depending on where you are. Any strenuous outdoor activities like hiking or walking tours should be scheduled for early morning or late evening hours while indoor activities should be planned for the middle of the day. 

Where you stay is always an integral part of any good trip, so for the hot summer months be sure to find a spot with reliable conditioning and research the area to see if they often get weather that could cause a power outage. If you’re traveling to a country you’ve never been before, research important facilities such as hospitals as well. 

Ashley Ward, the director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University, advises that if you’re someone who has a medical condition or takes medication, be sure to stay extra vigilant in terms of preparing your body, as it could be even more vulnerable to the heat during your travels. 

“A lot of the prescription drugs that we take for common conditions like high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, they actually interrupt our body’s ability to thermoregulate,” she said. 

She also emphasized that older adults, pregnant individuals, young children, and infants are also vulnerable, so plan with your body in mind.

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Adithi Ramakrishnan and Aya Diab of AP recommend packing a reusable water bottle, light/breathable clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, cooling towel, and portable fan as some essentials to keep on your list as well. 

For those opting for a summer road trip, ensure that you get your vehicle inspected a few weeks beforehand to make sure everything is in good condition and your engine’s cooling system is in top tier shape. Keep your car cool by parking in shaded areas and take plenty of breaks to stretch, hydrate, and eat to keep energy levels up. 

AAA senior automotive manager David Bennett also highly recommends never driving on less than a quarter tank of gas to ensure there’s no chane of you getting stuck in the heat in an unknown area. 

 It’s important to also be educated on the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke so if the worst does happen, you can recognize it early and get help quicker. Spending long periods of time outdoors while participating in intense activities or consuming heavy amounts of alcohol can increase the risk as well, so be diligent. 

“People often get into trouble when they ignore both environmental conditions and the warning signals their bodies are giving them. They think they can push through. That is a mistake,” Ward said.

Dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, excessive sweating with cool and clammy skin are all signs to be on the look out for. If symptoms worsen and turn into slurred speech, passing out, confusion, or feeling hot to the touch, seek help immediately as it could be a sign of heat stroke. 

The most important thing that you can do as a traveler during extreme heat events is to listen to your body and remain as hydrated as possible. 

holiday

How To Tackle The Holiday Season Sustainably To Help Protect The Planet 

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The holiday season is busy for all of us, and in the US, it’s expected that spending will hit a record high this year. According to the National Retail Federation, 2025 is set to be the first time America collectively spends over $1 trillion on gifts during the last month of the year. 

One thing that often gets overlooked during the chaos of the holidays is how much waste and planet-warming gases are emitted into our atmosphere due to increased manufacturing, traveling, one-time material use, and more. 

There are many easy ways, however, that we all can help make the holidays greener to help give our planet the gift of environmental protection. 

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Going homemade can not only become a fun holiday activity and tradition, but it helps reduce waste. Sandra Goldmark, associate dean of Columbia Climate School’s Office of Engagement and Impact, told AP that one of her favorite gift-giving options is providing an act of service for a loved one. She gave the example of how one year, her husband took the time to organize all of her passwords for her, something that may seem mundane to some, but is so personal and helpful it became one of her favorite gifts. 

“It was not something easy to wrap and put under the tree, but believe me, it was meaningful and really helped me more than any additional object cluttering up my home could have,” she told the publication.

Something more general that everyone enjoys is the gift of good food. A trend that has been taking over the holiday season in recent years is buying ingredients in bulk and packing them in Mason jars. Cookie mix, soup mix, spices, bread starters, and more can be easily packaged in cute jars which can then be adjourned with ribbon, stickers, and cute recipe labels. 

Goldmark also emphasized that by simply buying less stuff, we work towards a greater sustainability goal. “The advice starts out simple: Buy less stuff. The best way to give gifts more sustainably is to buy fewer new things.” 

Additionally, gifting experiences rather than a physical gift has become more and more popular in recent years. Concerts, local festivals, spa days, museums, zoos, etc. all are great options and it’s been shown that having experiences together work to strengthen relationships even further than material gifts. 

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“There is so much that you could do by just saying, ‘I would prefer if you just made me a nice meal or took me out for some sort of adventure,’” said Atar Herziger, environmental psychologist.

Sustainable living educator Sarah Robertson-Barnes recommends looking into secondhand gifts as they involve less manufacturing, packaging, and shipping. 

“I bet somebody has the thing that you’re looking for and they would love to get rid of it. We do have a weird cultural thing where new is better and used is gross. I suggest reframing used gifts as vintage,” she said.

Herziger said “secondhand options might be received better when they’re items that can’t be bought new, such as a family heirloom or a collectible that isn’t produced anymore.”

“Focus on items that are high-quality, long-lasting, repairable and really needed. That ensures that it’s worth investing in and reduces the chance that it gets returned. Look to buy locally, rather than ordering online, to reduce how far it travels,” Goldmark stated. 

Finally, every year millions of pounds of wrapping paper end up in landfills, and a lot of it can’t be recycled due to the fact that many pf them are made with non-recyclable materials. There are, however, plenty of recyclable wrapping paper options out there, just make sure to check labels when you buy them in store or specifically search for it if you’re ordering online. 

Gift bags have also long been reused, especially ones that are intricately designed, so when it can call for it, opt for a bag over paper to wrap up your gifts. 

Getting creative with your wrapping paper is also a great option. Newspaper and brown paper offer a unique aesthetic to your gifts while making it easy for the recipient to recycle them afterwards.