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Extreme heat is the number one weather-related cause of death in the USA. That’s the bad news. But the good news is we have a solution to combat it: Urban tree cover is one of the most effective ways cities can cool heat islands and save lives. The problem: tree coverage is not equitable across urban neighborhoods in the US.

That’s where the Tree Equity Alliance — a new coalition of conservation nonprofits American Forests, GreenLatinos, Groundwork USA, and One Tree Planted — comes in. It will work to advance equitable urban tree cover, AKA “Tree Equity.” New data from American Forests now shows:

• Lower-income neighborhoods have 36% less tree cover and are 6 degrees warmer than wealthier neighborhoods during the hottest summer months
• Communities of color tend to have 45% less urban canopy and are 9 degrees warmer during that same timeframe.

This disparity has lasting effects on the health and economic opportunity in low-income neighborhoods. By pooling funding and resources together, the Tree Equity Alliance aims to achieve Tree Equity in 100 U.S. cities by 2030. 

To learn more about this initiative and why advocating for adequate urban tree cover in underrepresented communities is essential to fight both climate change and racial justice, I sat down with American Forests’ tree equity lead, Benita Hussain. Prior to joining American Forests, Hussain was the director of the 10 Minute Walk, a national campaign led by The Trust for Public Land which was named as a 2020 Fast Company World Changing Idea under her leadership. Hussain was an environmental policy advisor to Mayor Mike Bloomberg and to late-Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.  She and her writing have been featured in The New York Times, and The Hill, among other outlets, and she sits on multiple environmental and conservation boards.