Category: february 2021

Even before a child is born in the US, their race plays a huge part in how they’ll experience heat and pollution. It starts with America’s history of racist housing policies that segregated families of color into undesirable neighborhoods – and we can actually see the effects of those policies today: lots of pavement, little green space, and ultimately more heat. Meanwhile, in areas where white families live, the neighborhoods tend to have a lot more trees and shade, which leads to less heat. And as the climate warms, it’s black families who are most likely to be stuck in extremely hot areas.