No shortage of articles talking about extreme heat and how to cool rich cities like Singapore. But what about those not allowed to benefit? "Migrant workers are excluded from climate conversations tho they are one of the most vulnerable groups at risk." https://t.co/2HFn2DupS3

Not everyone is privileged enough to be able to switch on fans and air conditioning to escape the heat. Construction workers in particular have to grit their teeth and still get to work. How many times have you gone on lunch breaks and seen workers still at work between 12 and 1?

That was the point of this piece. We know that the world is heating up to dangerous levels. We can talk all we want about cooling technology for Singapore and using robots to study stress but if we do not factor migrant workers in to the conversation, is it really worth having?

(The New York Times and SMU did another promo piece about some robot charting heat. @jolovanwham and I were on their campus recently and saw many workers still being put to work at 1pm, the hottest time of day. What does that say)

I've covered migrant worker issues for years and try to include the plights, abuse they face and their POVs. Their exclusion from global conversations about climate change is the latest face to the issue https://twitter.com/heatherchen_/status/1446291071630118915

Before I bring in the best of my experts' quotes, I'd like to draw your attention to this incident in Singapore that played out a few years back: When Wisma Atria ridiculously decided to go and ban construction workers from entering the mall to use toilets https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/malls-toilet-ban-construction-crew-raises-stink

This brings me to a point some of my eds raised: "Can't they go into malls or other areas during their breaks?"

The embarrassing answer is no, they can't. Singaporeans all know this. It's one of many discriminations they face now impacted by the heat. @jolovanwham

Radhika Khosla, an associate professor at Oxford: "It's been troubling to see events unfold the way science has predicted. We are seeing fewer trees and more built up concrete areas that result in higher rates of heat stress. We've clearly not listened and adapted."

I had among the best quotes from migrant worker rights advocate @Atomicalandy. Andy fled Thailand after a lengthy legal battle with a pineapple processing company accused of abusing its workforce.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37896421 (1/3)

Andy Hall: "Migrant workers are too often excluded and forgotten from most global conversations about the climate crisis even though they are clearly one of the most vulnerable groups at risk." (2/3)

"They are unable to benefit from these (cool air solutions) due to systemic restrictions as well as discrimination. It's disappointing," Hall said. "Their welfare in the ongoing heat crisis needs to be a bigger topic of discussion." (3/3) https://t.co/xnpardUGP4

Andy also recalled the situation in Qatar, where many migrant workers came under heat stress and other heat-related diseases -- kind of like what we are seeing play out in Southeast Asia. Forced to work at all times of day, poor living conditions, no water https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/qatar-world-cup-migrant-workers-heat-stress/

@jolovanwham rightly pointed out "stop work orders" are not yet in place for construction workers on sites (insane right, with the way days are burning up) -- J also pointed out how this was the case during haze seasons too (everyone else stays indoors but they still work)

Prisons in Texas (which has seen at least four heat waves this season) are regularly recording temperatures of 110 degrees, new research says. "With our prisons not having air conditioning, it's a really dangerous situation." https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/23/us/texas-prison-temperatures-report/index.html#:~:text=(CNN)%20A%20new%20report%20released,unit%20have%20topped%20149%20degrees.%22