Black and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately exposed to larger daily temperature variations compared to their white counterparts, a disparity that may have significant health implications, according to a new study.
The research, conducted by Shengjie Liu and Emily Smith-Greenaway from the University of California, Berkeley, and published in PNAS Nexus, found that Black and Hispanic communities experience temperature swings up to 3 degrees Celsius larger than white populations at the census tract level. The study also identified a lesser disparity between low-income and high-income populations.
Using monthly nighttime and daytime land surface temperature data from satellites, the researchers investigated inequality in daily temperature variation (DTV) exposure across the United States. While previous studies have focused on the urban heat island effect, Liu and Smith-Greenaway argue that DTV should be considered a fundamental source of climate-induced health disparities.
The unequal distribution of green spaces in urban environments appears to be the root cause of these disparities. Extreme temperature fluctuations, like extreme heat, can have detrimental effects on human health, with large daily temperature variations linked to increased mortality rates in numerous global studies.
The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and policies to address the disproportionate exposure to extreme temperature variations experienced by racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Further research is needed to better understand the health consequences of these disparities and develop strategies to mitigate their impact on vulnerable populations.
See “Study finds Black and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately exposed to wider temperature swings” (May 22, 2024)
