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Cities can use cool roofs to combat extreme heat

Cities can use cool roofs to combat extreme heat

Cool roofs, which reflect sunlight, can help cities reduce the urban heat-island effect, potentially saving lives as global temperatures rise.

Matt Simon reports for Grist.

In short:

  • Urban heat-island effect increases city temperatures due to concrete and asphalt absorbing heat.
  • Cool roofs, using reflective materials, can significantly lower temperatures more effectively than green roofs or solar panels.
  • Policies and incentives are needed to promote the adoption of cool roofs in urban areas.

Key quote:

"In the same way that the urban environment that we have built around us can exacerbate heat, it can also be modified to reduce that heat."

— Edith de Guzman, researcher at UCLA and director of the Los Angeles Urban Cooling Collaborative

Why this matters:

As cities grow hotter due to climate change, effective cooling measures like cool roofs can reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths. Implementing these passive cooling techniques helps make urban environments more livable and resilient.

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Newsletter
Many New York City neighborhoods face high heat vulnerability this summer

Many New York City neighborhoods face high heat vulnerability this summer

As New York City braces for another hot summer, 80 neighborhoods are identified as highly vulnerable to heat, with many of these areas being low-income communities or communities of color.

Alastair Lee Bitsóí reports for Inside Climate News.

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Image by Yinan Chen from Pixabay

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Redlining and other forms of housing discrimination have led to a lack of green spaces in some D.C. neighborhoods, and these densely populated urban blocks can be as much as 20 degrees warmer than historically wealthier and more bucolic wards in the District.

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