May 22, 2024 11:10 a.m.

On Wednesday, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland will be the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Northwest hub for the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring.

A release said OMSI will gather local temperature data to support heat resilience in Oregon and throughout the country.

Wyden said, “As the climate crisis worsens, heat is becoming an even more grave concern for vulnerable Oregonians without air conditioning as well as farmers dealing with drought and communities facing wildfires”. Wyden said, “We need solid, local data that help inform solutions. Ensuring accurate, real-time information from Oregon’s vital eco systems and climates are included and will give a broader picture of what we are challenged with as a state, region, and nation”.

Merkley said, “As climate chaos intensifies, we must be prepared for extreme heat events across the state”. Merkley said, “The data that OMSI and their research partners collect will allow us to see the full picture of how severe heat impacts our communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Equipped with local data produced by this project, we can continue to protect Oregonians from the dangerous consequences of soaring temperatures and build resilience in our communities”.

The release said the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring, based at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina, will receive $2.3 million in funding to help communities observe, monitor and evaluate factors influencing heat risk at a local scale. In addition to OMSI and the Museum of Life and Science, the center will include the Arizona Science Center and the Museum of Science in Boston.