Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades.
With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves will only become more frequent and severe in the future, it’s increasingly clear that the world needs new ways to adapt to heat – in addition to eliminating climate-warming pollution.
Heat waves pose a serious (and costly) public health risk, given that extreme heat can prompt heat exhaustion, dehydration, and heat stroke and can also worsen chronic conditions like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Cranking up the collective AC isn’t the answer to this rising threat. Although AC is still necessary to protect people’s health in many circumstances, relying on air conditioning alone will become even less feasible than it is now for those who can’t afford higher electricity bills. What’s more, conventional air conditioning systems and units are major climate culprits, accounting for roughly 10% of the world’s electricity use and almost 4% of annual climate-warming emissions.
The good news is that people are working to find alternatives. From wrapping a bridge in tin foil to feeding zoo animals Popsicles and designating millions of dollars to a prize for developing affordable and climate-friendly cooling solutions, it’s safe to say people have been getting creative in the effort to beat the heat.
In honor of creative problem-solving everywhere, we rounded up a few intriguing solutions that could help communities adapt to a hotter world.
Retroreflective pavement to help cities of the future bounce heat back into space
In recent modeling research, scientists found that when outfitted with retroreflective materials – which reflect light back to its source, rather than scattering it in different directions – a city’s pavements and building walls can lower surface temperatures by up to 36 °F (20 °C), reduce surrounding air temperatures by 5°F (2.6 °C), and cool human skin by almost 1°F (0.55 °C). The idea is to direct sunlight away from the asphalt and back into the atmosphere, cooling the urban heat islands that plague modern cities.
Retroreflective materials are already widely used on road signs and markings. So one day, cities like Los Angeles, Madrid, Mumbai, and New York might deploy the technology to help keep residents cool.
Solutions you can wear
A Public Citizen report found that heat is responsible for as many as 170,000 work-related injuries annually. For outdoor workers in particular, clothing that actively blocks heat can be a critical first line of defense from heat-related illness.
So it’s encouraging that wearable cooling technology is a hot area of innovation, including vests that cool body temperature by absorbing water and releasing it slowly over time. Others have developed stickers that measure body temperature and polyester garments that reflect 90% of solar heat.
One intriguing standout? Clothing inspired by nature’s shade-providers, including a heat-tolerant species called the Saharan silver ant. These advanced textiles have pyramidlike structures embedded in the fabric to deflect sunlight, creating a cooling system you could one day wear – if the technology makes it to market.
Electricity-free cooling with nature-inspired materials (and more)
Inspired by the natural cooling properties of camel fur, researchers have developed innovative materials that could help keep food and medicine cool without the need for electricity. These futuristic – and for now, high-cost – materials mimic the insulating way camel fur traps cool air close to the body, preserving moisture in the body while blocking external heat even in the scorching desert sun. And that’s just one of the quirkier examples of promising electricity-free cooling solutions.
Other electricity-free cooling solutions that are already commercially available include cool roofs with reflective white paint, which bounces sunlight away from surfaces, and passive design strategy, which leverages natural light, ventilation, and insulation to keep buildings cool in summer.
Cooling cities with water features and wind corridors
Cities can incorporate natural elements like water and wind into their designs to create cooler, more livable urban spaces. Incorporating water features like fountains, lakes, and reflective pools into cityscapes can help cities beat the heat.
In addition, strategically designed wind corridors can increase airflow by helping bring cooler air from outside the city in to replace warm, stagnant air and increasing natural ventilation along specific routes. Plenty of U.S. cities have open space that helps foster cooler air already, such as New York’s Central Park and Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park – but researchers say the concept of wind corridors could be more purposefully embedded into future urban planning.
Getting back to our roots … with trees
Sometimes the best solutions are not the newest ones. Planting trees and other vegetation is still one of the most powerful defenses we have against rising temperatures.
Trees and green spaces help cool cities by providing shade, which can reduce the heat absorbed by buildings and streets. They also release water vapor through evapotranspiration, which cools the air. Plus, by replacing heat-absorbing surfaces with lush greenery, trees help combat the urban heat island effect, making cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Atlanta more comfortable.
Turning ideas into action for a cooler, more resilient future
As temperatures rise, so do the stakes for effective cooling solutions. But we’ve got ingenuity on our side, from biomimicry-inspired clothing and retroreflective pavements to nature-based cooling. Now we just need the discipline to put those big ideas into action to combat extreme heat, sustainably.
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