Atlantans may be used to the city’s blistering summer heat, but the annually rising temperatures have local leaders worried about long-term severe impacts of climate change — from higher rates of heat-related deaths to the potential of widespread electrical blackouts.
The combination of both could be fatal. Researchers at Georgia Tech found that a mass blackout during a heatwave in Atlanta could overwhelm the city’s health care system.
In response to the issue, Council members Liliana Bakhtiari and Matt Westmoreland spearheaded and just released the results of a citywide heat vulnerability assessment that breaks down street-by-street how each Atlanta neighborhood can tolerate “heat stress.”
“While we experience the impacts of climate change on a daily basis, the conversation about what to do about it remains mired in disagreement,” Bakhtiari said. “Meanwhile, our city cannot afford to wait. We face an uncontrolled climate future due to the consequential decisions made long before us, but we need to come together and develop a strategic plan unique to Atlanta and deal with our indisputable reality.”
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Credit: Michael Blackshire
The results showed that neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Atlanta are most vulnerable for heat-related issues. Neighborhoods including West End, English Avenue, Vine City, Pittsburgh, Sylvan Hills and Hammond Park were flagged for higher than average temperatures with lower than average rates of air conditioning in resident’s homes.
The report offered some key recommendations like increasing total tree canopy across Atlanta by about 350,000 trees while prioritizing vulnerable neighborhoods, utilizing cool roofing on buildings four stories or less and expanding the number of cooling centers throughout hot months.
“The most immediate takeaway from our research pertains to the city’s capacity to substantially lower heat and flood risk through simple strategies, such as increased tree canopy cover over streets and the use of reflective roofing,” said Dr. Brian Stone, Director, Urban Climate Lab, Georgia Tech.
“We find these strategies, if implemented city-wide, could reduce the risk of heat-related hospital visits and deaths by 70-80 percent,” he said.
Take a look at the full report here.
Credit: Courtesy of Georgia Tech/Urban Climate Lab
Credit: Courtesy of Georgia Tech/Urban Climate Lab
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Invest Atlanta is soliciting proposals from qualified non-profit or for-profit organizations that are interested in administering a citywide pilot Anti-Displacement Tax Fund.
Contracted services for the program will include ongoing fundraising, community engagement, educating residents, reviewing applicant eligibility and awarding tax relief benefits to residents on an annual basis.
Any groups interested in participating have to apply by Friday, July 28.
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Sports and political commentator Keith Olbermann took a verbal jab at Atlanta’s current mayor last week during his “Worst Persons in the World” segment on the “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” podcast.
Ranking from bronze to gold, Olbermann used last Tuesday’s segment to criticize three people, including media personality Megyn Kelly and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who came in first.
“The runner-up, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. You know about Cop City in Atlanta,” Olbermann asked, referencing the name activists use to denounce Atlanta’s proposed public safety training center. Olbermann called it the “proposed secret, fascist police training ground plan.”
Olbermann pointed out how Dickens said no one in his administration or law enforcement would interfere with the “constitutional right” that opponents have to seek a referendum, and yet, the city and the state of Georgia to argue in court that electoral effort is “invalid” and “futile.”
“Invalid and futile, two words which might also describe Mayor Dickens’s chances of getting reelected,” Olbermann said.
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On a brighter note, congratulations are in order for Mayor Dickens, who was awarded the 2023 Irvin J. Johnson Political Trailblazer Award from JABY, Inc. — a Stone Mountain-based nonprofit that works in communities to provide mentoring programs, scholarships and endowments. The charity award event raised college scholarship money for local high school seniors.
Dickens used his July 16 speech to honor the recently deceased Dr. Christine Farris and Fulton Judge Marvin Arrington. Dickens thanked them both for expanding opportunities to residents in the region. A series of events honoring Arrington will begin Wednesday.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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