Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative

The benefits of increasing our urban tree canopy are numerous. Not only can planting more trees in our communities beautify our neighborhoods, increase air quality, and improve urban water management, they also alleviate the most severe impacts of extreme heat!

More information on these benefits and additional resources on how to plant more trees in our communities are available in the graphics below.

We are in the middle of the hottest time of the year. While everyone is susceptible to the worst impacts of extreme heat certain groups such as the unhoused, the disabled, children, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to these conditions. Alongside being more vulnerable to heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses, these groups often have less reliable access to the resources they need to keep cool and properly regulate their core body temperature.

Even if you yourself are not a member of one of these vulnerable groups, you can still work to ensure that those around you are prepared for the heat. Additional resources for adapting to extreme heat can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/specificgroups.html

During this time of year, extended exposure to extreme heat is a leading cause of weather-related health safety concerns. Exposure to extreme heat conditions can lead to a variety of health risks. Alongside heat stroke, extreme heat conditions can have significant negative impacts on both your physical and mental health while exacerbating existing health conditions.

In addition to leading to heat stroke, increases of 10 degrees Fahrenheit from average daily temperatures may lead to “decreased reports of positive emotions like joy or happiness, and increased reports of negative ones like stress or anger, when compared to average daily temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 16 degrees Celsius).” It is important during this time of the year to be aware of weather conditions, especially when spending extended periods outside.

More information on the health impacts can be found here: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/juanita-constible/extreme-heat-takes-toll-our-mental-health #:~:text=One%20study%20found%20that%20temperatures,10%20to%2016%20degrees%20Celsius

Join CRCRC and LARC for a conversation on solutions to extreme heat at our upcoming webinar Building Community Resilience: Extreme Heat Strategies and Funding from Los Angeles and Sacramento, on 4/18/22 from 1:00 - 2:30pm! This event will feature experts with insights on cool roof and cool pavement implementation and insights into emerging strategies! Find the agenda here: https://bit.ly/BuildingCommunityResilienceAgenda

Register here: https://bit.ly/BuildingCommunityResilience-Part1

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