Living Cities: Hot cities

HOT CITIES: Anyone who has sweated through a heat wave in a city knows urban areas can become unbearably hot. Part of the problem is that cities are full of concrete, asphalt and metal structures that absorb and store heat that is then released so slowly that they don’t fully cool down at night. As a result, residents are exposed to the so-called “heat island” effect, meaning they face constant, unbearably intense heat. Depending on a person’s socioeconomic status, age and health, that heat can prove to be deadly.

Here’s more from me on why cities are so dangerous in heat waves — and what can be done about that.

Car trouble: While people might try to escape the heat in the comfort of their air-conditioned cars, traffic actually makes heat waves in cities worse, because cars “produce heat combustion that warms the surroundings,” according to Birgit Georgi, a climate adaptation expert who advises the EU’s Urbact program. Studies also show that motor vehicle emissions contribute to the heat island effect by increasing the level of pollution in the air, compounding the threat to people’s health. Switching to e-vehicles would help to cut down on those emissions, but that won’t entirely solve the problem because even parked cars radiate heat.

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Πηγή: politico.eu