Mar铆a Bel茅n Power ’07 was recently featured in a WBUR story that also aired on All Things Considered from National Public Radio. Bel茅n Power is associate executive director at GreenRoots in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The environmental justice organization is collaborating with the city and Boston University to pilot a host of cooling strategies on a densely populated Chelsea block, from planting trees to replacing asphalt with lighter-colored material.
In addition to improving local residents鈥 well-being, the Cool Block project serves as a template for other cities as climate change brings longer, hotter summers, increasing health risks in urban heat islands.
鈥淪ome days we feel like鈥攚hat?鈥攁re we really having an impact? Like, is this really going to prevent the climate crisis?鈥 Bel茅n Power told WBUR鈥檚 Martha Bebinger. 鈥淎nd then I think, 鈥業t’s no longer about preventing it. It’s about protecting the most vulnerable communities.鈥欌
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