Flooding disproportionately afflicts low-income neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.
Heat Disparity in Washington, D.C.
Season 1 of “The Climate Divide” explores the correlation between housing discrimination and the lack of green spaces in some D.C. neighborhoods. These densely populated urban blocks can be as much as 20 degrees warmer than historically wealthier and more bucolic wards in the District.
Learn more about “The Climate Divide.”
Escuche la Temporada 1 en español.
Episode 1: What is a Heat Island?
The sweltering summer months in Washington, D.C. can be even more unbearable if you live in an overdeveloped area with little trees. In this episode, we introduce the causes of the heat island effect and break down how this heat disparity plays out in D.C.
Episode 2: Staying Cool in the Summer Months: An Interview with Dr. Matthew Levy
This episode takes a look back at an interview Hola Cultura did with Dr. Matthew Levy, an expert in emergency medicine. Dr. Levy explains the various health complications caused by extreme heat and provides some everyday solutions.
Episode 3: Can Trees Combat the Heat Island Effect?
There is no doubt that trees are pivotal as a means of mitigating extreme heat. But there are many obstacles that stand in the way of providing more vegetation in cities.
Episode 4: Redlining and Heat Islands
D.C. is one of many cities that was shaped by discriminatory housing policies. Have those policies had any influence on the heat disparity we see today?
Episode 5: How Does the Department of Energy and Environment Tackle the Heat Island Effect?
"The Climate Divide" host Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe and Hola Cultura’s Executive Director Christine MacDonald interview Tommy Wells, the director of the D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE). Their conversation centers on the DOEE’s efforts to combat extreme heat.
Episode 6: How Does Heat Affect Our Brains?
Being in the midst of a heat wave can make it hard to learn, especially if you are in a classroom without working AC. In this episode, we speak with a researcher who studied the impact heat can have on our cognitive function, and investigate the frequent occurrence of malfunctioning AC units in D.C. schools.
Episode 7: How Does Heat Affect Our Brains? Part 2
In this follow-up to episode 6, we look into how the D.C. government is responding to broken air conditioning systems.
Episode 8: "Hope is the Consequence of Action": How D.C. and Other U.S. Cities Are Tackling Extreme Heat
Heat islands are a complex problem in need of multifaceted solutions. In this episode, we examine what heat-adaptation plans the D.C. government has in place and how they plan to protect the most vulnerable populations.
Episode 9: Heat Islands Next Door
"The Climate Divide" host Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe and Hola Cultura Executive Director Christine MacDonald have a discussion with Melissa Guevara from Groundwork RVA, Laura Sivels from Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection and Sandra Banisky from the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland at College Park. All three were a part of heat island campaigns over the past few years. The conversation centers on major takeaways from their respective projects and the work that lies ahead.
Production Team
This podcast was produced by Hola Cultura’s SPEL storytelling program.
"The Climate Divide" production team includes host and editor Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe with additional editing by Claudia Peralta Torres and Jose Luis Mendoza and additional reporting by Lucía Matamoros, Talia Jackson, Jennifer Alfaro and Barbara Ron-Giron. The project director is Christine MacDonald, Hola Cultura’s executive director.
Heat Islands Maps
The maps below illustrate the differences in temperature and vegetation across the city.
