Arizona cities, environmentalists and businesses are teaming up to combat extreme heat by launching a variety of tree planting initiatives. Cronkite News reports that some cities are hoping to motivate residents to join the effort by providing free trees and plant resources.
In 2021, Phoenix established the nation’s first publicly funded Office for Heat Management and Mitigation and assembled a four-person team to develop a strategic plan to combat urban heat and its associated health risks
Deaths from extreme heat have increased in recent years. According to a report by the Arizona Department of Health Services, 835 people died from heat-related and heat-related deaths in 2020, nearly doubling the year-ago figure.
Some cities, like Mesa, are working to expand the “canopy” by planting an abundance of trees to create more shade. Mesa’s goal is to increase the number of trees by 25% by 2030.
Maricopa County — the nation’s fastest-growing county and home to one of the hottest cities in the US — Phoenix — had a record number of heat-related deaths in 2022, according to the county’s health department.
www.knau.org
https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2023-04-12/some-arizona-cities-promote-tree-planting-initiatives-to-combat-increasing-heat
