How extreme heat disproportionately affects Latino neighborhoods
1 min read
Summary
UCLA’s Latino Climate and Health Dashboard shows that in California, Latino neighbourhoods experience 23 additional days of extreme heat per year in comparison to non-Latino white neighbourhoods.
It defines extreme heat as any day where temperatures reach 90°F and above.
Latino neighbourhoods in California are also exposed to twice the amount of air pollution and have double the number of asthma-related emergency room visits compared to non-Latino white neighbourhoods.
This is a result of the urban heat island effect, caused by a lack of greenery, more dark, paved surfaces and waste heat from industrial facilities.
The tool fills gaps as the Trump administration purges climate, race and ethnicity data resources.