Midweek Takes #3

6/30's small thoughts and links.

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It’s hot as actual Hell in New York.

It’s the end of June in New York and the heat index tells me that it feels like 102° Fahrenheit. It’s never okay when my outsides are hotter than my insides. Plus if you’re in a city you get to extra suffer from the urban heat island effect. Here’s what the EPA says:

Heat islands are urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas. Structures such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes such as forests and water bodies. Urban areas, where these structures are highly concentrated and greenery is limited, become “islands” of higher temperatures relative to outlying areas. 

Cities have found a way to combat urban heat islands, firstly by urging people to stay indoors, in air conditioning wherever and whenever possible. For those without AC, or for our unhoused neighbors, some cities, like New York, operate Cooling Centers, which are public venues s…