Editor, Ceres Courier,

As summer is approaching and temperatures rise, Stanislaus County is unprepared for the blazing heat and it is time we address the reasoning behind this: the urban heat island effect. Our city is overrun with asphalt, concrete, and rock with a severe lack of trees to provide shade, or greenery to absorb heat. Not only will this be uncomfortable for each citizen, it can be deadly to the elderly, young children, and those without access to air conditioning. 

Each year dozens of people fall victim to heat related illness and it is about time we protect our people by enforcing the city to act now. We need policies that call for more tree planting, grass yards, green or white roofs on buildings, and white walls, streetscape planting, adding water features, or even planting a community garden.

If we implement these policies we can see significantly lower temperatures, lowered use of air conditioning, higher property value, decreased air pollutants improving air quality and lessening respiratory disease, and the encouragement of outdoor social activities, in turn strengthening our community one tree at a time. 

It is time to cool our city and improve our community. 

Whitney Renga,

Ceres

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