Connecting Utility Disconnection Protections, Extreme Heat, and Health
The connection between climate change and health is understood and detailed in the literature, although it is still in its nascency. However, little is known about the connection between utility disconnection protections and health outcomes. We aim to fill that gap, guided by the hypothesis that a lack of disconnection protections during periods of extreme weather will lead households to curtail energy usage or adopt coping strategies (e.g., forgoing food and medical expenses to pay utility bills or burning trash for heat), which will result in negative health outcomes, such as hypothermia or heat exhaustion, and can exacerbate underlying health vulnerabilities.
Alison Knasin
Lab Manager, Energy Justice LabAlison Knasin is the lab manager of the Energy Justice Lab. She received her Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, and also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Boston University.
