A Dispatch from the Ministry for the Future: “Wet Bulb” Heat and Humidity Conditions in the U.S.

The opening scene of “The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson is a powerful and harrowing depiction of a catastrophic heatwave in India – where temperatures specifically reach critical wet bulb temperatures.  Wet bulb temperature is a measure that combines air temperature and humidity, indicating conditions under which the human body’s ability to cool itself through sweating and evaporation is compromised.  While not a mass casualty event, over the next four days, places and pockets of the U.S. may be in wet bulb territory for a long enough duration to be of concern.  Consider this the first OODA Loop dispatch from the Ministry for the Future that is actually acting as a tactical advisory for the next four days as well. 

Background:  A Future “Wet Bulb” Mass Casualty Event in Uttar Pradesh, India

The opening scene of “The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson is a powerful and harrowing depiction of a catastrophic heatwave in India. This event sets the stage for the novel’s exploration of climate change and its impacts on global politics, economics, and individual lives. In this scene, we are thrust into the midst of a severe heatwave in Uttar Pradesh, where temperatures exceed the survivability threshold, specifically reaching critical wet bulb temperatures. Wet bulb temperature is a measure that combines air temperature and humidity, indicating conditions under which human body’s ability to cool itself through sweating and evaporation is compromised.