NPR is dedicating a week to exploring solutions for living in a hotter climate, showcasing initiatives like tree giveaways in places like Las Vegas, where increasing temperatures pose significant risks. Neighborhoods designated as 'urban heat islands' are particularly vulnerable, leading to tree-planting efforts aimed at mitigating heat effects. The trees not only provide shade but also have the potential to lower local temperatures significantly, enhancing residents' comfort and lowering air-conditioning costs. The need for heat mitigation plans has become urgent due to the rising prevalence of heat-related deaths in urban areas.
Experts say heat-related deaths are likely undercounted across the country, prompting increased focus on finding ways to keep people safe from the heat.
Research has shown that trees can lower the temperature in the area around them significantly, by at least 10 degrees.
Lulu Banks, eligible for two free trees, knows their shade will help lower her air conditioning bill in the summer.
During a recent spring tree giveaway in Nevada's Clark County, all couple hundred young trees were gone within an hour.
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