TipSheet is a joint product of the National's Safety Council's Environmental Health Center, Radio and Television News Directors Foundation and Society of Environmental Journalists. Maybe not, according to a report released this month by environmental groups. Ask your state's environmental agency for a list of air quality monitors. Compare ozone data from monitors in natural areas, such as national forests and parks, wildlife refuges, and seashores with those in cities. Studies now are finding ways to cool cities down.
Urban heat can cause heat deaths, waste energy, create smog, and disrupt local weather .
Cost-saving steps include installing rooftop gardens, planting trees, and using reflective surfaces for roofs and asphalt. Ask local officials if they have taken actions for heat island reduction. The eastern U.S. drought is browning more than lawns this summer. Dogwoods, maples, and other saplings planted in cities to clean air and water, cool homes, and landscape neighborhoods suffer from lack of water, brick-like soils, and heat reflected from pavement. Disease and insect attacks compound the problem, especially in very young and old trees.