Phoenix Can Reduce Costs of Sweltering Summers With More Trees, Cool Roofs: Study
A new study released from The Nature Conservancy Monday said the city of Phoenix could save billions of dollars from their scorching summers by planting more trees and using "cool roofs" that don't absorb the sun's heat.
Phoenix is the nation's fifth-largest city with 1.6 million citizens and spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year in dealing with the extreme heat. However, the study said if the city were to add roofs made out of materials that won't absorb heat, also known as "cool roofs," on even a third of the buildings in the area, it could save them as much as $280 million a year.
Moreover, if the city were to plant enough trees to cover a fourth of the city, creating a "canopy", plus adding the "cool roofs" to all the buildings, they could save billions over the next three decades.
Phoenix's summers are hot, expensive and dangerous. Currently, heat-related illnesses account for $7.3 million in hospital bills, according to the study. In 2020, Phoenix's Maricopa County reported 323 heat-related deaths.
It's not uncommon for streets and highways in Phoenix to warp and crack from the intense heat. Because of that, it costs over $100 million annually to maintain them, mainly due to the extreme temperatures.
Climate change is making Phoenix's summers even hotter. In early September, temperatures reached 111 degrees. Over the summer, temperatures reached 118 degrees. Phoenix recently broke a new November record reaching 25 days of 80-degree temperature, the previous record was for 24 days in 1949, US News reported.
The people most vulnerable to the heat are often in poor and racially diverse communities where many households lack the means to cope with heat waves that are becoming more frequent, widespread and severe.
The Nature Conservancy's study looked at the costs that can be caused by steadily rising temperatures to human health, labor productivity, electricity and roadways.
Working with infrastructure consulting firm AECOM, the nonprofit environmental organization known for its nature preserves and efforts to protect biodiversity this time turned its attention to the country's hottest large metropolitan area.
"As Phoenix continues to urbanize and its population expands, the benefits of adapting to extreme heat may only increase, as will the consequences of inaction," the report said. "To implement the ambitious solution scenarios and realize the associated benefits, both the public and private sector will need to play an active role."
David Hondula, a climate scientist formerly with Arizona State University who now heads Phoenix's new heat response and mitigation office, said the report will be useful for cities like his in getting funding for measures to help cool down neighborhoods. He served on the study's advisory committee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
