How outdoor workers in NC are dealing with extreme heat

Workers who labor on farms and construction sites experience extreme heat frequently in the workplace, but there are also service workers who face extreme heat. With rising temperatures from global warming, these already harsh conditions are only getting worse. WUNC’s Aaron Sánchez-Guerra and Celeste Gracia spoke with several workers for their series ‘Scorched Workers’ in 2024. Since then, the series has won several regional journalism awards, and a national award for audience engagement. This conversation originally aired in October 2024. 

Celeste Gracia, WUNC Environment Reporter 

Aaron Sánchez-Guerra, WUNC Race, Class and Communities Reporter 

Juanita Constible, senior advocate for Environmental Health at Natural Resources Defense Council 

Dr. Modjulie Moore, family medicine physician and current medical director for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Farmworker Health Program