White surfaces reflect sunlight, so city streets don’t heat up as fast during hot summer seasons. Decreasing the likelihood of urban heat islands also decreases heat stress for vulnerable people. Image source: Shutterstock (#257565412), pictures downtown L.A.
Recent record highs for temperaturs in California have made the weather unusually warm even for the state on the west coast, showcasing the effects of climate change. As Los Angeles suffers from the urban heat island effect, which is dangerous for people during heat waves and is caused by predominantly black pavement, Mayor Eric Garcetti now wants to protect public health by cutting the temperatures in LA by 3 degrees Fahrenheit.
To that end, Los Angeles is coating its roads in CoolSeal, paint that keeps streets 10 degrees cooler than regular black asphalt.
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