Hotter BR requires cool thinking

America is getting hotter, and Baton Rouge will not be spared.

From 2016 through 2025, Baton Rouge experienced an average of 144 days per year when temperatures topped 90 degrees, according to a New York Times analysis. From 1986 through 1995, the average was 113 days.

The trend extends far beyond Louisiana. In 1995, about half of Americans lived in counties that endured at least 25 days above 90 degrees. Today, roughly 70% do.

Why it matters: Global warming has changed summer from a season we embrace into one we increasingly must survive. Youth sports offer one example: Heat, smoke and flooding now cancel about a week’s worth of practices each year, according to Aspen Institute’s Project Play.

What can be done to adapt:

• Expand urban greenery. Street trees, parks and green roofs provide shade and cool the air through evapotranspiration, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Baton Rouge Green says tree-lined neighborhoods can be up to 25F cooler, while shaded streets can be more than 45F cooler.
• Create safer places to play. Parks need more shade structures and playground equipment made from materials that retain less heat, the Project Play report says.
• Rethink when we play. Youth leagues can schedule practices earlier in the day and shift sports calendars toward milder seasons.
• Install “cool” surfaces. Permeable and heat-reflective pavement can absorb less solar energy, easing the urban heat-island effect. The city-parish should also reconsider the amount of land devoted to hot parking lots that sit largely unused except on a few peak days.
• Protect people during heat waves. Baton Rouge could strengthen its heat-warning system, open more cooling centers and extend their hours, and install misting stations in public spaces.

The bottom line: Even with aggressive action on climate change, the world will continue getting hotter for some time. Baton Rouge will need clever, sustained adaptations if residents are to keep enjoying the outdoors.