Three cities cancelling car culture

Welcome to Talking Climate with Catherine Hayhoe. Each episode we explore how climate change

is affecting the people, places, and things we love and what we can do to make a difference.

From science to solutions and stories that inspire, you're in the right place for real

talk about real change. This week we're talking about making cities walkable, losing

sleep in the heat and three ways to cool your home. Let's dive in.

Good news. A few weeks ago, I highlighted the success of London's ultra-low emission

zone in cleaning up the city's air. But that's not the only good news out of London. Last

month, Mayor Khan approved a plan to pedestrianize a one-kilometer stretch of Oxford Street's

shopping district. Work will begin this summer to turn Oxford Street into a traffic-free

haven. And London isn't alone. In Paris, leaders have spent years replacing car lanes

with bike lanes, adding green space and removing tens of thousands of parking spots. The results

are striking. Maps of air pollution over time show pollution levels dropping dramatically.

Barcelona is using a different approach. The city's super blocks limit traffic within

groups of streets, creating space for walking, biking, play, and community life. Residents

report quieter streets, cleaner air, and more opportunities to connect with their neighbors.

When we design cities for people instead of cars, we don't just reduce emissions. We

improve people's everyday lives. Research shows that walkable neighborhoods reduce pollution,

lower the cost of transportation, support local businesses, prevent hundreds of premature

deaths each year, and make it easier for people to stay active and connect with others.

Not so good news. As global temperatures rise, new research shows that heat is increasingly

disrupting sleep around the world. This is especially true for older adults, women, and

people in lower income regions. That matters more than we might think. Sleep is critical

for how we think, learn, and function day to day. Even small increases in nighttime

temperature can make it harder for our bodies to rest and recover. Over time, widespread

sleep loss could ripple outward, affecting everything from our memory, mood, and health

to educational outcomes and economic productivity.

What you can do. Do you live somewhere where heat is a problem? Even if it's just in summer,

in Texas, we already had our first 100-degree Fahrenheit, 38-degree Celsius, day, and

late February. Here are three practical ways to keep your home cool and save money at the

same time.

Number one, add window film. A lot of heat comes straight through our windows. Window

films act like sunscreen for your glass, and one study found that when installed on the

outside of windows, they can reduce bird collisions as well.

Number two, choose a reflective roof. The next time your roof needs replacing, opt for

a white or reflective metal roof. Cool roofs reflect up to 90% of the sun's energy, cutting

energy bills, and reducing your local urban heat island effect. One analysis found that switching

to light-colored roofing worldwide would prevent the equivalent carbon emissions of up to

15 million cars per year.

And number three, plant a tree. One of the most effective ways to cool a neighborhood

is also one of the simplest. Add shade. Trees can lower surrounding temperatures, reduce

air pollution, and even cut energy use by reducing the need for air conditioning. And

a recent study shows that living near trees can even reduce your chance of heart disease.

Thanks for listening to Talking Climate, Married by Anne Cloud. For more resources, links,

and actions you can take, check out the full newsletter at www.talkingclimate.ca. Don't

underestimate your voice. Start a conversation this week and see where it leads.

Thanks for listening to Talking Climate, Married by Anne Cloud.