Phoenix Arizona and Climate Change

Phoenix, Arizona

How climate change is affecting the city, their potential solutions, and the bigger picture.

Current Defense

Impact of Climate Change

Phoenix is at high risk of extreme heat, flooding, drought, and fire due to climate change making conditions favorable for arid disasters. Making the problem worse, Phoenix's overdeveloped streets contain lots of heat-retaining surfaces that trap the heat within the city, making it hotter.

Phoenix is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, primarily by switching from fossil fuel usage to renuable energy. They are also focusing on turning waste into a resource by capturing the methane released during waste dergradation. They are also working to improve air quality to the national standards and implement 100 cool corridors to alleivate the city's heat.

References

Bigger Picture

New York City struggles with many of the same climate change-realted challenges that Phoenix does- specifically risks of fire, extreme heat, and to a lesser extent drought risk. Given that so many people live in New York, it's important for the city to find new ways to protect its population. Like Phoenix, NYC is working within the terms of the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2023. They are also working on new plans to protect at-risk sections of the city by the shoreline as sea levels rise. FInally, they are adding additional trees to help improve air quality and reduce heat-trapping. On the global scale, NYC serves as a leader, with many watching to see how successful their programs may be before they impliment them into their cities.

Resources:

1. https://climatecheck.com/arizona/phoenix#:~:text=Heat%20risk%20in%20Phoenix%2C%20AZ,per%20year%20over%20109.9%C2%BAF.
2. https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2022/01/07/phoenix-climate-action-plan-heat-drought-greenhouse-gas-emissions/#:~:text=The%20city's%20plan%20focuses%20on,and%20waste%20as%20a%20resource.
3. https://climatecheck.com/newyork/new-york
4. https://council.nyc.gov/press/2020/03/12/1874/

Picture Credits:

1. https://council.nyc.gov/data/securing-our-future/
2. https://www.pods.com/blog/2023/02/living-in-phoenix-arizona/https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2022/01/07/phoenix-climate-action-plan-heat-drought-greenhouse-gas-emissions/
3. https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2022/01/07/phoenix-climate-action-plan-heat-drought-greenhouse-gas-emissions/