A pioneering initiative at the intersection of health, equity, and climate justice to identify sustainable and accessible cooling technologies that safeguard the well-being of individuals who are vulnerable to extreme heat.
In 2023, Praxis Spinal Cord Institute launched SCI Climate Futures in response to the ongoing BC heatwave crises.
The first phase of SCI Climate Futures was a rapid response program for British Columbians brought by BC Hydro. The program provided free cooling devices to individuals with disabilities, such as an SCI and multiple sclerosis that impair the body’s thermoregulatory systems, making them vulnerable to the negative and possibly fatal effects of extreme heat.
The second phase of SCI Climate Futures aims to identify and accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies that provide sustainable and accessible cooling solutions for the built environment. For this second phase, we are excited to announce the launch of “AccessCool: Innovations for a Climate-Ready Future” – a pitch competition where the most promising innovators will present to a panel of industry experts, clinicians, and end-users. The pitch competition would have two streams:
- Innovative Portable Technologies: Innovative cooling technologies that are portable and can provide rapid cooling anywhere.
- Innovative Novel Technologies for the Built Environment: Infrastructure Solutions or non-portable products for the built environment.
The effects of Climate change are everywhere, impacting all aspects of our lives. However, for individuals with SCI and other disabilities, such as MS, that impair the body’s central thermoregulatory centres, it poses a unique challenge as they have difficulty self-regulating their body temperature, increasing their vulnerability as they tend to overheat. The consequences of this health vulnerability extend beyond discomfort, as overheating can become life-threatening.
In light of the increasing frequency of heatwaves worldwide due to climate change, it is imperative for companies and governments to prioritize the development and adoption of sustainable cooling technologies. Not only for safeguarding the life and well-being of individuals but also for protecting the global environment from the harmful effects of pollution caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from conventional HFC-based air conditioners and other existing solutions.
Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, in partnership with Technology for Living, is working towards empowering individuals with SCI and other disabilities to face heat-related effects of climate change more effectively while being mindful of their potential environmental impact. SCI Climate Futures is an initiative at the intersection of health, equity, and climate justice to identify cooling technologies that safeguard the well-being of individuals with disabilities during heat waves while minimizing environmental impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Praxis runs pilot programs to validate their benefits, then works with organizations and institutions to adopt them. The City of Vancouver is currently funding a program with Technology for Living to provide portable cooling vests for Vancouver residents. Praxis is working with other cities to expand the adoption.
Praxis held a pitch competition to identify energy-efficient and climate-friendly technologies for residential cooling with start-ups Mimic, Blue Frontier, and Enersion awarded funding to advance their novel technologies. Praxis supported the launch of two built-environment cooling technology pilots in BC.
Please contact Program Manager Tathagata Ray.