These experts from the UW–Madison faculty and staff have agreed to comment on breaking news, ongoing developments and trends in their areas of expertise. If you need help arranging interviews, email the Office of Strategic Communication.
Experts on the news
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Richard Keller on: Why Europe's Deadly Heat Waves Are About More Than Temperature
Keller is one of the world's leading scholars of the catastrophic 2003 Paris heat wave that killed approximately 15,000 people in France and an estimated 70,000 across Europe. As the author of Fatal Isolation: The Devastating Paris Heat Wave of 2003, Keller examines how culture, behavior, urban environments and public policy shape who survives climate-related disasters. His work is especially relevant as European cities once again face prolonged, dangerous temperatures.
Keller can discuss:
- Lessons from the 2003 Paris disaster that remain surprisingly relevant more than two decades later.
- How cultural habits such as keeping homes sealed during hot weather or failing to recognize personal vulnerability can increase mortality.
- What Europe and the United States can learn about preparing communities for a future in which extreme heat is becoming the norm rather than the exception.
