We can't air-condition our way out of America's heat crisis

Extreme heat in the summer has become America's brutal new reality. But local, state and federal aid programs and infrastructure to help people cool down haven't kept up with the country's record-shattering temperatures.

Climate, energy and urban researchers are urging policymakers to implement solutions to mitigate the danger of heat on vulnerable residents and design cooler cities and towns for a hotter future.

"There is no national plan to help lower-income families to transition to higher temperatures," said Mark Wolfe, the executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, which represents state energy assistance programs for low-income Americans. "The solutions we have are based on shorter heat waves and more temperate summers. Public policy hasn't caught up."

Wolfe is calling for congressional funding to retrofit low-income homes for cooling. This effort would pay for energy-efficient air conditioning equipment and insulation. It would also include building code changes that require multi-family homes provide cooling the same way they do heating.

Last year, Chicago passed a law requiring certain new and existing residential buildings to install air conditioners in indoor common areas, and Los Angeles is exploring an air conditioner requirement for all rental units.

But that won't be enough to keep people cool as temperatures rise.

Cities are warmer than their surrounding areas, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, and they need to be better designed to keep people cool, researchers say. This will require investments in urban trees, forests and infrastructure.