“If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”

~ President Harry Truman

Climate change doomsayers predict inevitable catastrophe due to massive flooding, horrific hurricanes and tornadoes, and years-long droughts. Some of that will occur in some places, but the one climate change prediction most likely to become reality is global warming. Luckily for us, there are things we can do to mitigate, if not prevent, the worst impacts of warming — beside just staying out of the kitchen.

Climate scientists V. Kelly Turner, Ariane Middel & Jennifer K. Vanos, have determined that some mitigation is as simple as providing shade, particularly by planting trees. They advocate, “Limiting exposure to the Sun through shade is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to reduce heat-related health risks outdoors. Shade is simple to create using trees, buildings, canopies, shade sails, awnings and walls, yet is frequently overlooked in urban planning and climate-change mitigation strategies … Shade can reduce a person’s total environmental heat burden by reducing air temperature, atmospheric moisture, wind speed and total radiant exposure.”

“For centuries, shade was an integral part of urban design. The Romans designed homes with courtyards to provide shade and fountains to provide evaporative cooling. Buildings in hot regions typically incorporated courtyards and overhangs, and in some cities, streets were oriented to block the Sun. But the advent of air conditioning, cheap electricity and a growing reliance on cars, rather than walking, means that shade is no longer a priority.”

Priorities are changing, not only for us humans, but for animals, such as livestock, as well. Author John McCracken reports, “Research shows that as the planet warms, livestock deaths will increase … And so far this year, the trend is continuing, with livestock producers in Iowa already reporting hundreds of cattle deaths in the latter half of July alone.”

Some farmers are “… bracing for a future of extreme heat by adapting an agriculture practice known as silvopasture. Rooted in preindustrial farming, the method involves intentionally incorporating trees on the same land used by grazing livestock, in a way that benefits both. Researchers and farmers say silvopastures help improve the health of the soil by protecting it from wind and water, while encouraging an increase of nutrient-rich organic matter, like cow manure, onto the land … It also provides much-needed natural shade for livestock.

“In addition to mitigating extreme heat risks and promoting soil health, trees planted on pastures and fields act as a way to sequester carbon out of the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis … silvopasture practices can be successful because of their flexibility. Farmers can use trees they already own. They can graze goats, pigs, sheep, cattle, and more under the shade of nut trees, fruit trees, and trees whose trimmings and branches can be harvested and sold to the lumber industry.”

Trees may not be the only solution needed to mitigate climate change, but they offer solutions adaptable to both rural and urban environments. It’s worth a try.

Anyway, if we had to get out of the kitchen … where would we go?

Additional information:

John McCracken, Livestock are Dying in the Heat. This Little-Known Farming Method Offers a Solution, August 28, 2023, Modern Farmer, Grist

V. Kelly Turner, Ariane Middel & Jennifer K. Vanos, Shade Is an Essential Solution For Hotter Cities, July 26, 2023, Nature