Hello there sunshine! Welcome back to Save Our Happy Place, your weekly pop of environmental and climate activism. If you are one of the 100 million Americans placed under extreme heat warning last week or one of the Europeans and citizens of the global south experiencing record-breaking heat while combating wildfires, this one is for you. This summer we are actively experiencing the effects of climate change. Plain and simple, that is what is happening. So this week we are exploring how to cool off yourself and the planet.

Hot Child in the City

At the tail end of a gruesome two-week New York City heat wave, I braved the oppressive temperatures to picnic with a friend in the park. We found the deepest, lushest corner of Prospect Park, and enjoyed what felt like an oasis topped off with rabbit sightings and bats flying overhead. At the end of the evening, as we slowly transitioned from a grotto of luxuriant trees and grass back to the concrete jungle, a blanket of heat gently engulfed us. So confused by this sudden rush of warmth, I knelt to the ground and felt the cement radiating heat. As a born and raised New Orleanian, I’m no stranger to high temperatures. But the cement oven of life in an urban heat island is something else entirely.

It’s Getting Hot in Here

How to Cool Off without Heating Things Up

Extreme Heat Effects

When we talk about some of the “worst effects of climate change,“ heat waves are certainly one of them. Extreme heat conditions can affect everything from human health and agriculture to overall energy usage and grid stability. The planet’s temperatures are rising and will continue to rise as more heat-trapping greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere. Scientists expect heat waves to become more common, more severe, and longer-lasting.

Urban Heat Islands

Urban heat island - the occurence of higher temperature in urban areas as opposed to rural areas with the same climate.

Not all areas are equally affected by heat waves. Those in concrete-intensive urban areas, roughly 56% of the world’s population, are subject to feeling much more extreme heat conditions. Cities often have less vegetation contributing to less shade and moisture to keep urban areas cool. Standard roofs and pavement reflect less and absorb more of the sun’s energy leading to higher temperatures near these structures. Further contributors to urban heat are tall buildings and narrow streets reducing airflow, vehicles, factories, and air conditioning vents. In contrast, areas with more trees, vegetation, and soil are able to stay cooler through the processes of evaporation and evapotranspiration.

Intersection Environmentalism

It is worth noting that the risk of injury due to extreme heat is yet another way in which the brunt of climate change is disproportionately affecting minorities. People of color are more exposed to heat islands.

How Cooling Off is Heating Us Up

Unfortunately, our greatest relief from the extreme heat, air conditioning, is generally only making the problem worse. Cooling technologies, like AC’s and refrigerators, account for 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The chemical Hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs, are human-made greenhouse gases, introduced to replace the ozone-killing refrigerant chemical. HFCs have global warming potential thousands of times higher than the same amount of carbon dioxide. Due to increasing global demand for cooling and refrigerants from rising temperatures, HFCs are the fastest growing greenhouse gases in the world. Regulations on equipment efficiency and refrigerant gases are currently not stringent enough to mitigate the use of this chemical.

Climate Solutions that Beat the Heat

Adapting to climate change will be part of the battle we face on the way to building our greener more sustainable future. Luckily, there are a few solutions that not only will help keep you cool but will also help trap carbon and offset heat helping the planet.

Bring It Back to Nature

Nature-based solutions have multifaceted benefits. Urban greening, green roofs, and planting trees to provide shade and cool the air through evapotranspiration. Increasing access to surface waters, restoring wetlands, and daylighting underground streams to above-ground channels also help to keep it cool.

Expand Nature in Cities

Buy Cooling Products from Companies Leading in Efficiency

In order to avoid contributing even more to global warming while trying to cool off lookout for energy efficiency to reduce demand on the electricity grid. If you’re in the market for air conditioning, opt for the most energy-efficient models.

Shop Energy Efficient ACs

Support Grocers Using Proper Refrigeration Management

Grocery stores are lined with refrigerators, so be sure to support ones that are climate-friendly and HFC free.

Find a HFC-Free Grocery Store

Some Rays of Sunshine

Headlines We’re Happy to See

• International Commission votes to allow the use of more climate-friendly refrigerants in AC and heat pumps. - Read More

• The US blocks illegal imports of climate-damaging refrigerants with new rules. - Read More

• Compostable plastic cutlery can be recycled into home-insulating foam. - Read More

• EPA finalizes rules to slash the use and production of hydrofluorocarbons by 85% over the next 15 years. - Read More