{"id":14365,"date":"2020-07-08T09:10:28","date_gmt":"2020-07-08T13:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=14365"},"modified":"2020-08-19T09:45:29","modified_gmt":"2020-08-19T13:45:29","slug":"climate-and-cities-ama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/climate-and-cities-ama\/","title":{"rendered":"You Asked, We Answered \u2013 Climate Change and Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last week, Mass Audubon\u2019s Climate Change Program Director, Alexandra Vecchio, took over our Instagram<\/a> story to answer your questions about climate change and cities for our First Friday Climate Action Ask Me Anything (AMA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here Were the Top Three Most Asked Questions:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Boston Youth Climate Strike, September 2019.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Q: Does climate change affect cities differently?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: Yes, because of what lies inside cities. Cities contain a large number of impervious surfaces, which don\u2019t absorb water. These surfaces increase runoff and flooding during storm events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cities also experience much warmer temperatures compared to surrounding rural or suburban areas due to increased absorption and retention of heat. Our urban centers house less flora than their suburban and rural counterparts, which turn heat into moisture to \u201csweat\u201d and keep their environment cool. Paired with dark asphalt, buildings, and other typical urban features, our cities are retaining and creating heat at a higher rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: How can we use nature in our cities to fight climate change?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: In my city, Somerville, I love to see <\/a>street trees<\/a>, which provide habitat for local wildlife, shade for our communities, and natural climate mitigation. Trees mitigate climate change by soaking up the most common greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, like a sponge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we see increased temperatures in Massachusetts due to climate change, trees are particularly important to shade our homes and reduce the amount of energy we use to keep cool. Trees also help alleviate the urban heat island effect<\/a>: when parts of our cities are significantly hotter than neighboring suburbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: I\u2019ve seen a lot of rain gardens around Boston. Can you tell me about the impact they have?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: Rain gardens, or bioswales, use vegetation to help absorb storm water during heavy rain events, filter out pollutants, and then allow the water to slowly sink back into the soil. They can also provide habitats for local pollinators and wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This nature-based climate solution improves water quality and reduces flood risks \u2013 protecting our homes and businesses. Green infrastructure<\/a> like this can be found all throughout Massachusetts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Can Help<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to focus on the risk climate change poses to our urban centers, but we encourage you to look around your own city for the many climate solutions in action. You can get involved in a street tree planting initiative like the City of Boston\u2019s program<\/a>, help care for a nearby community garden, or serve on a local board to advocate for the increased use of nature-based solutions or green infrastructure in your own neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also visit one of our urban wildlife sanctuaries to see natural, urban climate solutions in action: Boston Nature Center<\/a> in Mattapan, Broad Meadow Brook<\/a> in Worcester, and Oak Knoll<\/a> in Attleboro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tune in Next Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you didn\u2019t have time to submit your questions, ask them in the comments below or email us at climatechange@massaudubon.org<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking for another space to ask questions and have judgement-free conversations about climate change until our next AMA, register for our virtual Climate Caf\u00e9 on July 16<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to follow us on Instagram, @MassAudubon, and visit our Story next month on August 3 to ask your questions for our First Friday Climate Action AMA. We\u2019ll see you then!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week, Mass Audubon\u2019s Climate Change Program Director, Alexandra Vecchio, took over our Instagram story to answer your questions about climate change and cities for our First Friday Climate Action Ask Me Anything (AMA). Here Were the Top Three Most Asked Questions: Q: Does climate change affect cities differently? A: Yes, because of what lies inside […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":14366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[178],"tags":[350,349,246,150],"class_list":["post-14365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate","tag-ama","tag-cities","tag-climate-action","tag-climate-change"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/07\/AV-Sign_Boston-Youth-Climate-Strike.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3JH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12945,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/why-cities-are-more-vulnerable-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":14365,"position":0},"title":"Why Cities are More Vulnerable to Climate Change","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"July 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Boston \u00a9 Yu-Jen Shih\/Via Flickr CC There is a good chance you know someone who lives in a city or you live in one yourself. 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This year, activities have gone completely virtual so we can still safely convene around a common goal: Climate Action. If you don\u2019t know where or how to start celebrating, we\u2019ve compiled a Climate Action Calendar to guide your festivities. 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Our friends, families, and neighbors have to adapt (just like wildlife and plants) to new and heightened threats \u2013 and one of those is a threat to public health. Climate change's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/06\/Scott-Bauer-USDA-Flickr-Adult-Deer-Tick.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/06\/Scott-Bauer-USDA-Flickr-Adult-Deer-Tick.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/06\/Scott-Bauer-USDA-Flickr-Adult-Deer-Tick.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/06\/Scott-Bauer-USDA-Flickr-Adult-Deer-Tick.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14564,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/climate-action-101-ama\/","url_meta":{"origin":14365,"position":3},"title":"You Asked, We Answered \u2013 Climate Action 101","author":"Rishya N.","date":"August 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"On August 7,\u00a0Zach D\u2019Arbeloff, Education Coordinator and Camp Director at Blue Hills Trailside Museum\u00a0took\u00a0over Mass Audubon\u2019s Instagram story to\u00a0answer all your questions about climate action!\u00a0 We took it back-to-basics this month to discuss what it means to act, who can get involved, and how we can all start collectively acting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/Headshot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/Headshot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/Headshot.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/Headshot.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12599,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/natures-way-of-fighting-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":14365,"position":4},"title":"Nature\u2019s Way of Fighting Climate Change","author":"Alexandra Vecchio","date":"April 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"We are now living in a world where scientists are telling us that urgent and unprecedented changes are needed if we are to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Global average temperatures today are 1\u00b0C warmer than pre-industrial levels, and we are in the fight of our lives\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/04\/BroadmoorTrees-e1556052673656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/04\/BroadmoorTrees-e1556052673656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/04\/BroadmoorTrees-e1556052673656.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2019\/04\/BroadmoorTrees-e1556052673656.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14656,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/hemlocks-and-climate-ama\/","url_meta":{"origin":14365,"position":5},"title":"You Asked, We Answered \u2013 Land, Hemlocks, and Climate Change","author":"Rishya N.","date":"September 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, Olivia Barksdale, Mass Audubon\u2019s Conservation Restriction Stewardship Specialist, journeyed into Rutland Brook wildlife sanctuary in Petersham to talk about land, hemlock trees, and climate change. 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