As featured by Fox10 Phoenix:
Sunbathers understand the benefits of applying sunscreen, but in America’s hottest big city the same concept is being tested at street level in the hope of bringing some lasting relief from the relentless Arizona sun.
A team from Arizona State University is working with the city of Phoenix on a pilot program studying the use of “cool pavement” to reduce heat island effect, a phenomenon that raises temperatures in urban areas covered by asphalt and concrete.
The Environmental Protection Agency says normal paving materials can reach temperatures of 120 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (48 to 67 Celsius) during peak summer and transfer excess heat into the air. Lowering the surface temperature can provide comfort and reduced energy costs to residents sheltering from extreme heat like the record levels reached this year in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.
This article was originally published by Fox10 Phoenix. Read the full article here.
