Phoenix residents don’t need to be reminded it’s hot in June. But it can be helpful to have a refresher on how to keep yourself, your loved ones and your community safe when summer temperatures arrive. And data-driven insights into how much a warming climate has influenced modern heat extremes and their impacts don’t hurt, either.

That’s the purpose of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ “Heat Action Day,” scheduled for Sunday. The IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network and, as such, has put resources into tracking how climate change has exacerbated the human toll of rising temperatures.

In a significant move, the Biden-Harris Administration today announced the recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, a key initiative under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The rebates, totaling $8,345,000 for Arizona, will enable selectees to purchase 30 clean school buses in 10 school districts across the state. This program is a crucial step in Arizona’s journey towards improving children’s health and tackling harmful air pollution, replacing older, diesel-fueled school buses linked to student and community health issues.

A new federal initiative will rely on University of Arizona research and scholarship to help communities across the U.S. create policies and take action to mitigate and manage extreme heat. The university’s involvement in a new Center for Heat Resilient Communities, which the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday, will help translate climate research into policies and guidelines.

UArizona and Arizona State University are partner institutions with the center, which is led by faculty and staff at the University of California, Los Angeles.

PHOENIX – Leaders of Arizona’s public, private and nonprofit sectors Monday discussed financial incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, explaining how they will use available federal funds for conservation efforts and renewable energy projects.