Office of Environmental Justice And Climate Health - Wondering how to cool your community?

Wondering How to Cool Your Community?

Planting trees lowers the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and cools your home and neighborhood. If you live in Los Angeles City, you can request a tree for your property through City Plants. If you live in unincorporated Los Angeles County, you can request a tree for the space between your sidewalk and the road in front of your home. Or get involved with wider tree planting efforts through TreePeople, Life is Better with Trees, and other organizations and initiatives.
Keep your home and neighborhood cool with a cool roof that reflects heat. Most cool roof materials are the same price as regular roof materials. Your energy bill will go down!
Support efforts to increase the number of parks and green space in your neighborhood. These spaces help cool neighborhoods.

Implement easy strategies (PDF) that help reduce your contribution to climate change, which causes extreme heat and other negative impacts.
Support policies and programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our communities from climate impacts. These include:
- Public transportation and ways (like sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes) that make it easier for people to walk and bike
- Tree planting, increasing green space, adopting cool roofs and cool and permeable pavement
- Recycling and composting
- Electric vehicles
- Renewable energy and energy efficiency programs
- Farmers markets and community gardens
- Refer to this comprehensive Citizens Guide (PDF, opens in a new tab) for getting involved.

If you are a clinician, read our Rx for Prevention article (opens in a new tab) about how to talk to your patients about protecting themselves from the health impacts of climate change.
If you are a current undergraduate or graduate student, consider an Academic Internship (opens in a new tab) with the LA County Department of Public Health Climate Change and Sustainability Program.