The Climate Divide: Heat Disparity in Washington D.C.

Do wealthier neighborhoods have more trees? Recent studies have shown that they do. The nonprofit American Forests is helping people visualize this reality with their Tree Equity Score, an online mapping tool that combines tree cover, race and socioeconomic data in the District and other cities around the country. This season finale features an interview with Alana Tucker, the senior director of the Tree Equity Alliance at American Forests. Tucker speaks with Hola Cultura's executive director Christine MacDonald about how cities can use the Tree Equity Score, zoning code changes that could help preserve urban forests and how tree preservation doesn't have to come at the cost of affording housing.Cover art credit: Ted Eytan (via Flickr) Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)GaleHeatherThread of Clouds For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

As trees move to the forefront of planning for climate change, U.S. cities are urgently setting tree canopy goals to make sure residents can continue to benefit from this resource that takes decades to grow. But development and other pressures aren't making it easy. In this week's episode, host Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe speaks with members from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which recently set a tree canopy goal of 50% for the D.C. region. The episode will also feature interviews with leading experts that study deforestation and how the pollution and heat in cities uniquely affect tree growth. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)GaleHeatherKressonThread of Clouds In PassageFor the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

D.C. utility company Washington Gas wants to continue replacing hundreds of miles worth of underground gas pipes over the next 30 years. Washington Gas says this plan, called PROJECTpipes, will reduce dangerous gas leaks and the methane emissions that sprout from them. But local council members, climate advocates and District agencies have questioned the effectiveness of this project, whose end date is nearly a decade after the city is supposed to be nearly fossil fuel free. Today's episode will cover recent developments with PROJECTpipes and feature an interview with Tom Holen, a program manager at the London-based think tank InfluenceMap, which studies the advocacy strategies of oil and gas companies such as AltaGas Ltd., a Canadian utility that bought Washington Gas in 2017. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)GaleHeatherKressonThread of Clouds For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

With over a month left of summer, D.C. has already surpassed its yearly average of 90-degree days. As climate change causes longer and more intense heat waves, weather alerts are changing to better communicate the dangers of extreme heat to vulnerable populations. In this first episode of season 4, host Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe speaks with Jessica Lee, a public program coordinator at the National Weather Service, about HeatRisk, the agency's new heat forecasting tool that informs heat sensitive populations when hot and muggy weather can be dangerous. The episode also features an interview with climate scientist Casey Ivanovich, about why she and her colleagues introduced the term “stickiness” to better understand extreme humid heat. Link to HeatRisk: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heatrisk/ Link to HeatRisk survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ExpNWSHeatRisk_2024 Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)GaleHeatherKressonThread of Clouds For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

The District has made ambitious commitments to expanding tree cover and transitioning away from fossil fuel use. The dates for some of these milestones may seem far away, but how the city plans and builds today will determine if we actually hit those targets. This fourth season of “The Climate Divide” will explore the important choices our government needs to make now to be climate resilient and protect the residents most vulnerable to extreme weather. The episodes will report on this historically hot summer, a controversial gas pipe replacement plan and the challenges faced by trees growing in cities. New episodes coming August 7. Cover art credit: Duane Lempke Photography (via Wikimedia Commons)Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)Gale For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

Some cities around the U.S. are responding to the growing threat of more extreme heat and intense storms with resilience hubs equipped with backup energy and offering supplies and information for residents during a disaster. In this season finale, we cover the District's first resilience hub at the FH Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center in the Deanwood neighborhood. The second part of the episode will feature an interview with Dr. Sacoby Wilson, the director of the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH) at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)GaleThread of Clouds For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

The National Park Service owns most of the District's parkland. How does this unique predicament affect our parks and green spaces? In this episode, host Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe speaks with Rachel Clark, the lead author of a report that explored the challenges and inequities that arise due to the Park Service's management of D.C.'s parks and its D.C. maintenance backlog surpassing $1 billion. The episode also includes an update on plans to rehabilitate the Rock Creek Park Golf Course, a Park Service property where more than 1,000 trees are slated to be removed. Photo credit: GPA Photo Archive / Ward 8 Woods / FacebookMusic (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)GaleHeatherThread of Clouds For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

This week, we're featuring an interview with Brenda Richardson, the coordinator for the Anacostia Parks & Community Collaborative, which focuses on making the Anacostia River and surrounding natural areas more accessible for residents in Wards 7 and 8. In this conversation, Richardson discusses her concerns about flooding and extreme heat, the impacts of D.C.'s tighter budget and how she informs residents about climate change and resilience. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)GaleThread of Clouds For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

 Earlier this week, residents, advocates and officials testified at a D.C. Council hearing about the impact Mayor Muriel Bowser's recently proposed budget will have on local climate programs. This week's episode covers concerns that the budget will defund climate equity programs that aim to make home energy upgrades more affordable for low and moderate income households. We'll also share highlights from one fair that aims to inform residents about numerous electric appliances and the different incentives and rebates that could make these products more affordable.  Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)Cases to RestGaleHeatherIn PassageThread of Clouds For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

D.C. has been in the midst of a development boom fueled by rising demand for market rate housing and a need for more affordable housing. This has come at a cost for the District's trees. In the first episode of season 3, we see how the tree protection nonprofit Casey Trees qualifies the state of the city's trees in their annual Report Card and take a look at a bill that attempts to make changes to D.C.'s tree preservation laws. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)HeatherThread of Clouds GaleThe OnyxFor the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

In this third season of “The Climate Divide,” we'll focus on the solutions various people and groups are coming up with to ensure that D.C. and its residents are more sustainable and resilient in the face of climate change. The interviews and stories covered will discuss how tree cover, park access, and electrifying our homes and transportation will impact the residents in the District that are most vulnerable to various environmental and health hazards. New episodes coming April 25th. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)Gale For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

Ward 5 is home to roughly half of the industrially zoned land in D.C. Residents of Ivy City, a tiny neighborhood with big pollution problems, have protested for decades about the noise and pollution stemming from this industrial activity. This season finale will report on a chemical plant in Ivy City that's been operating without an air permit since the 1930s. The episode will also feature an interview with D.C. Councilmember Zachary Parker about his Environmental Justice bill. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)KressonHeatherThread of Clouds GaleFor the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

While Mayor Muriel Bowser attended the COP climate summit in Dubai, she released a report that laid out D.C.'s path to achieving carbon neutrality. This week's episode explains what carbon neutrality means for the District, explores one bill that addresses indoor air pollution from gas stoves, and examines the impact the city's tight budget has had on one key environmental program. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)KressonHeatherThread of Clouds GaleIn Passage  For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

D.C. has made a massive investment in improving the health of our rivers and reducing chronic flooding in historically flood-prone areas. Civic action and collaboration with environmental groups played a huge role in shedding light on the contaminated state of the Anacostia River and neighboring communities. This week, Frazer Walton Jr. lays out the history of activism in his neighborhood, Kingman Park, and other communities on the banks of the Anacostia River. Their advocacy led to the District's multi-billion dollar overhaul of the storm sewer system through DC Water's Clean Rivers Project. We also get more details on the project's milestones and next steps from Dr.  Moussa Wone. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)KressonHeatherThread of Clouds GaleProtest audio provided by ReelNews: “COP26 Glasgow: Over 100,000 march for climate justice” For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

There's recently been a large federal investment in environmental justice. But how does that investment play out? And what does this funding mean for climate organizations in the D.C. area? This week, we're featuring an interview with Abel Olivo, the co-founder and executive director of Defensores de la Cuenca, a local organization that received $2 million for their tree-planting program. In this conversation, Abel speaks about the origins of Defensores, the process of acquiring these federal funds and how his organization works to engage the Latino community in their environmental efforts. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)Thread of Clouds GaleFor the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

This week, we're going to look into a controversial tree removal proposal for the Rock Creek Park Golf Course. More than 1,200 trees are slated to be removed, and numerous environmental groups have spoken up about finding alternatives to cutting all the trees. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)In PassageHeatherThread of Clouds GaleFor the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

This first episode of season 2 of “The Climate Divide” will see how climate change may already be affecting D.C. and cover a recently completed tunnel project that is expected to address more intense rain storms. We'll also set out to explain a climate anomaly that occurred over the summer: smoke from Canadian wildfires that came all the way to the District. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)KressonIn PassageHeatherThread of Clouds GaleFor the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

This new season of “The Climate Divide” will focus on how D.C. is faring in the face of climate change. We'll highlight stories of residents coping with various environmental hazards that are disproportionately located in low income neighborhoods and decipher the real-world impact of big construction projects and government funding. New episodes coming November 9th.Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)Gale For the latest updates on episodes, follow us on all major social media platforms @holaculturadc. Additionally, don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast, "The Climate Divide." For more, visit holacultura.com.

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, and the conversation centered on major takeaways from their respective projects and the work that lies ahead.

 Heat islands are a complex problem in need of multifaceted solutions. In this episode, we examine the different heat-adaptation plans being implemented in the nation's capital and in cities across the United States. These solutions provide suggestions on how to keep residents safe and re-imagine development and infrastructure.

In this follow-up to last week's episode, we look into how the DC government is responding to broken air conditioning systems.

Being in the midst of a heat wave can make it hard to learn. Especially if you are in a classroom without working AC. We spoke with a researcher who studied the impact heat can have on our cognitive function, and investigated the frequent occurrence of malfunctioning AC units in DC schools. 

In this episode, The Climate Divide host Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe and Hola Cultura's Executive Director Christine MacDonald interview Tommy Wells, the Director of the DC Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE). The conversation centered on the DOEE's efforts to combat extreme heat. 

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? 

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.   Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)Thread of CloudsLevander CrestHeatherThe OnyxGale

This episode takes a look back at an interview Hola Cultura did with Dr. Matt Levy, an expert in emergency medicine. Dr. Levy explains the various health complications caused by extreme heat and provides some everyday solutions.Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)KressonLevander CrestGale

The sweltering summer months in Washington D.C. can be even more unbearable if you live in an overdeveloped area with little trees. In today's episode, we introduce the causes of the heat island effect and break down how this heat disparity plays out in D.C.Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)Thread of CloudsIn PassageCases to RestGale

This podcast will bring you captivating storytelling and investigative reporting on how the nation's capital copes with the sweltering summer heat, and how decades of neglect and housing discrimination has led to significant heat disparities with serious consequences for people's health. Our first episode premieres Wednesday, July 6. Music (all tracks provided by Blue Dot Sessions)Gale