Living in Arizona, for most of us, has become a routine battle with the weather, in particular, the summer heat. I think at some point people have decided to battle this as best they can, or not and try and adapt to the heat. Interestingly enough studies are being conducted around heat islands, of particular interest is the article by Shaun McKinnon in the AZ Republic, posted september 20th 2009, Study: Wealth buys rescue from urban heat island.
Central to the study, McKinnon states, "That link between money and the ability to cope with extreme weather emerged clearly in the research. Among the startling revelations: For every $10,000 an area's income rises, the average outside temperature drops one-half degree Fahrenheit," (McKinnon, 2009). Mckinnon goes on to report several references that link income and the ability to survive more aptly to heat. The differences range from communities who have residents with higher incomes, thus their environments are funded more diversely to conserve energy and protect against the heat. McKinnon reports, "Heat discriminates. Phoenix's sweltering summer inflicts the most misery and illness in poor neighborhoods, a new study shows, and among people least able to protect themselves from the elements (McKinnon, 2009).
Mckinnon really focuses in on the study conducted by Darren Ruddell and Sharon Harlan, They seem to be researching the intensity of heat exposure for people within or near heat islands, and to define the varying types of heat islands. McKinnon reports on the research by Ruddell and Harlan, "In the most barren urban neighborhoods, residents were exposed to almost 22 hours of the intense heat. In the xeric areas, the exposure was about 16 hours. In natural-desert areas, the exposure dropped to six hours, and in the lushly landscaped areas, residents suffered just four hours of intense heat," (McKinnon, 2009). The study, seems to try and investigate the varying landscaping features that are being used and how they do or do not have an added effect to the heat intensity exposure to people, and how we can combat that to use landscapes that help the heat island effects. McKinnon reports furthermore on Ruddell and Harlan, "What Ruddell discovered was that in many cases, the land cover and the types of landscaping mattered more than the geographic location of the neighborhood," (McKinnon, 2009).
Finally what this research and reporting identifies is the opportunity to alleviate environmental climate change in Arizona. This can be done by being aware of the landscape and heat culmination we live in and invest accordingly to protect people, the environment, and preserve energy. Environmental justice within this issue centers around protecting people who cannot afford to protect themselves from the effects of urban development. As cities grow and develop, particularly in Arizona, there are technological and design features that do have ill effects to people in areas that are not economically sound to design and provide its residents the same. On top of that it is an issue within human rights, lower income and the homeless must be accounted for as more economically viable communities can combat the rising temperatures and climate change. We canot leave them behind, some support must be afforded to them and their environments brought up to a standrad to combat the basic changes and rising climate worries. Finally central to the issue here is the following comments in which we learn what we can do with this data, what come next in solving heat island heat exposure and creating communities that conserve eenrgy and produce climate friendly environments for all people in the valley? McKinnon reports, "Understanding the ways in which heat and land use interact could also help urban planners design neighborhoods in ways that stop heat islands from developing. Landscaped open space, roofs and building materialsthat absorb less heat and even the color of homes and offices could make streets more comfortable," (McKinnon, 2009). McKinnon also states, "Preventing the heat islands from forming could lower temperatures at night enough to reduce the draw on air-conditioners and the energy they use and the extra heat the units emit. Lower energy demands could, over time, help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, which many point to as the driver behind global warming," (McKinnon, 2009).
This issue relates to environmental justice becasue it centers around the unequal distribution of access to resources that can help alleviate climate effects. In this case it does not seem to be a delibirate unequal distribution of resources, it is just a negative effect of urban development that has occured. What needs to be addressed is the way in which we can reduce heat islands as they have been constructed to reduce the heat intensity for all, then create new designs that will lessen the rise of these islands in the future. As these measures are designed there must be some civic responsibility to ensure economic resources are contributed to low income communities. This needs to be addressed because it will help reduce the stress of heat realted illness that has risen in these areas becasue economics is more important between food vs. cooling scenarios. Particularly in the article, Environmental Justice and the New Regionalism, by Joel Rast, he comments the following, other research, "Pastor et al. (2000) have argued in favor of “equity-based regionalism,” which would focus on deconcentrating poverty, tax-base sharing, and more equitable distribution of public services. The authors present evidence that addressing regional inequities creates win-win situations in which regional economies and prospects for lowincome populations are both enhanced," (Rast, 2006, pp.5). What is important to remember within the movements to enhance environmetal quality, are the conomic differences in cities, states, countries, and the globe. There are great ideas, but, it seems that sometimes they do not encompass the totality of varying sectors of the population in reference to economics. Government needs to take initiative to allocate the proper economic sources to help set standrads of viable climate impact for a true and definitive population, in other words all, regardless of any demogrpahic, social, and economic differences. Rast states, "Environmental justice is emerging as an increasingly effective tool for addressing inner-city poverty. Environmental justice advocates are using new federal regulations on environmental justice as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (which Executive Order 12898 amplifies) to address inequities in health, transportation, employment, and other policy areas for inner-city minorities," (pp. 7). Finally the issue could in a way create the opportunity to address effective EMS. This could be done by landscape business' creating opportunities to support environmetal causes within the communities they provide services to. They could activate responsible awareness of materials they provide and use for the landscaping they provide. Donate adequate resources to lower income areas to create landscapes that are environmenatlly efficient, and or they could create business measures to ensure quality standards in the services and products they provide. They could also create community building with ur busniess; to improve the landscape features in the communities, lower income communites, they service to reduce the ill effects of heat islands and the disparaty between the wealthier communities.
A.
The data to supportt this issue is the geographical annalysis provided by the study from Ruddell and Harlan. Lanscape features in varying areas in Arizoan produce unique effects and in lower income ares it is a risk for peopel who do not have the ability to invest in lanscape features to support energy, and heat diffusion, or land cover away from heat.
B.
The bottom line in this issue is that low income residents are being effected by climate change and the rise of heat islands.
C. The issue addresses enviomental justice within a disparity between people who can afford to cool their environment and people who cannot. Measures by government can help create initiative to allocate resources and funds to help lower income communities cool their environments. The issue could include the ability for local business' to create effective Environmental management strategies to aid the surrouinding communities, lower income communities, and create reliefs and incentives within their companies.
McKinnon, Shaun. (2009, September 20). Study: Wealth buys rescue from urban heat island. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved from http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/09/20/20090920env-heat0920.html
Rast, Joel. (2006). Environmental Justice and the New Regionalism. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 25, pp. 249-263. Retrieved from https://myasucourses.asu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_125080_1
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