Steve Jasiecki/Temperature readings on sunny and tree-lined streets show the benefits of shade trees.
By STEVE JASIECKI
With streets, roads and parking lots receiving the direct rays of the sun, asphalt or any street material heats up quickly and can get dangerously hot. Extreme street temperatures can cause harm, particularly to pets and animals who have no protection for their paws. Humans also feel the heat as they walk along sidewalks unprotected from the sun’s rays.
Walking a dog should be avoided during these excessive heat events and heath departments recommend staying indoors to avoid heat exposure.
Asphalt, concrete, glass and other building materials absorb radiation from the sun and reflect it back as heat. This makes cities hotter than the surrounding countryside, a phenomenon known as the “heat island effect.” Add to it cars, air conditioners, machinery and other heat generating components, cities indeed can get very hot, dangerously hot.
One method cities can use to combat this is to plant shade trees and take measures to protect existing trees from being cut down. With their shade, large canopy trees cool cities down by a few degrees and help make being outdoors a little more tolerable during hot sunny days.
Taken during a heat wave with air temperatures well into the 90s, a comparison of infrared thermometer readings of a sunny street and a shady street show a marked difference in street surface temperature. The shady street read 105 degrees fahrenheit. That’s hot! But the sunny street surface temperature was measured at 150 degrees. That’s significantly hotter!
Trees that shade buildings keep air conditioning expenses down along with protecting property from ultraviolet radiation that wears away material. They protect the streets, cars and property from damage caused from excessive heat.
The benefits of shade trees should not be underestimated when it comes to protecting us from the sun during the hot days of summer. It takes many years for a tree to grow to a size that will provide adequate shade; therefore, the removal of larger trees should not be taken lightly. Careful consideration should be given to determine if tree removal is necessary. We often take for granted their presence and do not realize their value until someone has cut them down.
So next time you walk down a shady street during a hot summer day, keep in mind what it would be like without the protection of the tree canopy and be grateful that you’re in the shade.
Steve Jasiecki is chairman of Sustainable Margate
