In Miami with the world's first chief heat officer

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Jane Gilbert was relishing the mild temperatures and gentle breeze of early March as she hurried between meetings.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Jane Gilbert was relishing the mild temperatures and gentle breeze of early March as she hurried between meetings.

She knows the heat will be here soon enough.

Here at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Gilbert and hundreds of scientists, policymakers, activists and business leaders have gathered for the Aspen Ideas: Climate conference, a three-day event to discuss solutions and adaptations to global warming.

Gilbert is the chief heat officer for Miami-Dade County, which counts more than 2.6 million people on Florida's southeastern tip. In 2021, she became the first person in the world with that title, and she has since been joined by a handful of others in cities around the globe that are coping with the realities of extreme heat in a warming world.

Gilbert said the chief heat officers stay in touch through a group chat on WhatsApp, sharing tips with one another and advocating for changes in policy.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/miami-heat-officer-profile-jane-gilbert-rcna142783

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