One climate scientist is putting community concerns at the forefront in his crusade to make Baltimore a more climate-resilient city.
Johns Hopkins researcher Ben Zaitchik, who specializes in the heat island effect, has secured $25 million in federal funding to study urban heat, flooding, air pollution, and decarbonization in Baltimore.
This city — alongside Chicago and Port Arthur-Beaumont, Texas — was chosen for federal funding for the five-year project because of the many climate-related challenges it faces: urban sprawl, clusters of heat-trapping surfaces and structures, flood and heat risks, and unequal burdens of pollution.
Zaitchik is making community involvement a priority, and his Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative, a diverse group of neighborhood activists, academics, and city officials, aims to do just that.
One outcome of the federal funding was the installation of climate-monitoring technology in neighborhoods across the city. About 30 members of BSEC attended a focus group meeting to brainstorm solutions based on the data gathered by the newly installed climate stations.
Some of the ideas included more sheltered areas for people to cool down, water stations, sprinklers in areas where people gather, and better communication by the city to keep residents aware of severe weather conditions like heat waves.
One of the challenges facing some Baltimore neighborhoods is a lack of trees. According to the American Forest database, tree coverage in less affluent neighborhoods is nearly 60% lower than in wealthier areas. Inside Climate News reported that 86,000 people in Baltimore live in neighborhoods that are 10 degrees hotter than others due to their lack of tree cover.
The effects of heat discrepancies in cities like Baltimore will likely only get worse in years to come as heat waves continue to plague U.S. cities. In 2022, a record heat wave shattered temperature records across the country, from Colorado Springs to Memphis.
Things didn't let up in 2023, with more record-setting temperatures. The scorching heat led to a number of deaths, including one couple in Houston who passed away alongside their dog after their air conditioning unit broke.
Though the project's millions in funding can't be used for new infrastructure within the community — it's earmarked for research only — Zaitchik is helping BSEC partners write grants and proposals that could secure funding for things like tree planting and cooling centers in underserved communities such as Broadway East.
"I would like to see a situation where there is funding delivered for, let's say, the Broadway East greening initiative, and knowing that that funding was unlocked in some part thanks to our ability to document the benefits of increasing tree canopy in the neighborhood," Zaitchik said, per Inside Climate News.
"If we can demonstrate that a city like Baltimore can adopt equitable mitigation pathways as a result of our efforts, then that would be the ultimate success for us," Zaitchik added.
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