Extreme heat days are more severe in specific neighborhoods, particularly during the recent record-breaking temperatures observed across the United States. A newly launched online dashboard reveals a concerning trend: Latino communities in California face a disproportionate impact from these rising temperatures.
Created by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), this tool addresses gaps left by the Trump administration’s drastic cuts to federal data related to climate, race, and ethnicity.
Arturo Vargas Bustamante, faculty research director at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI), emphasized the importance of providing reliable data: “We want to ensure that facts are available and that this information is not lost from the policy discourse.”
“We don’t want this to be something that gets erased”
The Latino Climate & Health Dashboard presents information on extreme heat, air pollution, asthma prevalence, and other health issues connected to these environmental stressors. The relationship between high temperatures and air quality is significant, as elevated heat can contribute to smog formation, worsening respiratory conditions.
The dashboard indicates that Latino neighborhoods in California experience an average of 23 additional extreme heat days annually compared to their non-Latino white counterparts, with extreme heat being defined as days when temperatures hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
This disparity aligns with the urban heat island phenomenon, where neighborhoods with fewer trees and more asphalt and industrial heat sources face elevated temperatures. A recent study found that approximately 10% of Americans live in areas where the temperature can soar at least 8 degrees Fahrenheit higher due to these urban structures, a problem exacerbated by historical practices like redlining.
The dashboard further breaks down data by county to illustrate factors contributing to temperature increases. For example, in Los Angeles County, only 4% of the land in predominantly Latino neighborhoods is shaded by trees, in contrast to 9% in predominantly non-Latino white areas. Additionally, 68% of land in Latino neighborhoods is made up of impervious surfaces such as concrete, compared to 47% in white neighborhoods.
Latino communities also face double the incidence of air pollution and asthma-related emergency room visits compared to non-Latino white neighborhoods, according to the dashboard’s findings. The data compiles information from the Census Bureau, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CalEnviroScreen environmental health screening tool, and other accessible resources.
In an effort to dismantle federal climate data tools, the Trump administration discontinued the national equivalent of CalEnviroScreen, known as EJScreen, impacting diversity and equity research. Ongoing efforts aim to document and preserve these datasets, which have faced challenges since before the previous administration’s actions.
Continuing research initiatives remains crucial so that communities can access current and relevant information. Advocacy groups like the Environmental Defense Fund have developed tools to monitor facilities that may receive exemptions from pollution restrictions, spotlighting potential impacts on public health and the environment.
The UCLA dashboard contributes to a growing movement of localized research efforts, filling in gaps left by federal resources. Bustamante noted, “While we may not have the extensive resources of the federal government, our goal is to maintain focus on this critical issue and provide data that can drive community action.”
Information from the dashboard serves not only to highlight disparities but also to guide initiatives aimed at improving conditions in affected neighborhoods, such as planting trees or coordinating with public health officials to ensure residents have access to cooling centers during heatwaves.