In an article in The Guardian by Nina Lakhani called "'We need more shade': US's hottest city turns to trees to cool those most in need," Phoenix' problems are beginning to be addressed. The sub-headline adds more flavor. "Phoenix broke several heat records last year. Now Grant Park, which has inequitable tree cover, is seeing a tree-planting drive that promises some respite from 100F temperatures."
Here are a few select paragraphs. "…Over the course of three days in early April, arborists planted 40 or so desert adapted trees in Grant Park, as part of the city's equity-driven heat mitigation plan to create a shadier, more livable environment amid rising temperatures and hundreds of heat-related deaths….
Phoenix is America's fifth largest and hottest city, a sprawling urban heat island which has expanded without adequate consideration to climate and environmental factors like water scarcity and extreme heat. Multiple heat records were broken last year including 133 days over 100F (37.7C), and 55 days topping 110F (43C).
'Our goal is to change the inequity and create enough shade to provide residents and passersby reprieve from the heat. For that we need many more trees, but we also need to take care of them,' added Ontiveros, as he walked through the neighborhood making sure the right families got the right trees."
Planting trees is a part of a needed solution to both specific heat and larger climate change mitigation. We need more carbon eaters for the latter goal and more new trees, mangroves, and larger forests will help. For the local goal, shade trees will offer both respite, scenery, and a little cooling.
It has long been predicted the climate change impact would be varied as it hits different areas. The more arid and hotter areas will see more droughts and heat. With the mountain top ice moving further up the slopes, the drier underbrush are prone to more forest fires. And, the coastal areas are losing shoreline and increasing the intensity and clout of hurricanes.
We need to use a variety of large scale efforts to put less carbon in the air and take more carbon out of the air. Tree planting is just one of those efforts. But, far more is needed.
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