Argonne scientists working to change Humboldt Park's 'heat dome'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The heat keeps local researchers busy, tracking how the rising temperatures and climate change affect parts of the city differently.
CBS 2's Tara Molina reports the research allows scientists to tailor solutions to specific neighborhoods.
"Heat is affecting the residents in more dramatic kinds of ways."
A longtime leader in the Humboldt Park community, Dr. Ralph Cintron knows the neighborhood and the people who make it special.
As Chair of the Climate Change Committee, he also knows its current challenges and could face as a "heat island."
He's working directly with this team to study the current challenges climate change presents in Chicago while working proactively on what's to come.
"If you can have that kind of data, then you can use that data for planting more and more trees. That might be a simple kind of solution," Cintron said.
They're a team of scientists and researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, community groups, and local colleges and universities.
"When you're in an engineered environment like Chicago, the effects of climate change can be amplified," said NEIU physics professor Dr. Greg Anderson.
The federally funded $25 million program is called Community Research on Climate and Urban Science or CROCUS.
Equipment, as seen on the roof at Northeastern Illinois University, will be spread throughout 20 other locations in Chicago.
"We know our various neighborhoods are impacted differently. We would like to quantify what that impact is," said Paytsar Muradyan, Atmospheric Scientist at Argonne.
Their research and data will ultimately lead to the best solutions for neighborhoods like this one. Solutions like increased green spaces, added trees, green roofs, changes in construction, and more.
(Paytsar Muradyan, Atmospheric Scientist, Argonne)
"The more we know, the better equipped we will be in providing these people with tools. How to fight it. How to tackle it," Muradyan said.
The team will be at work through 2027.
"Cities are going to be the sites where these tensions exist. Economic tensions. Climate tensions. And so, are we willing to tolerate increased suffering in poorer neighborhoods? I don't think that's a good route to take," Cintron said.
"If we are able to find good solutions to mitigate some of these problems, I would expect they would be, in many cases, applicable to other areas," added Anderson.
The work of CROCUS will have long-term impact on community. And, in many ways, it will be the residents themselves implementing the change. Hear from our students interns, many of which hail from CROCUS-communities, about their critical contributions: https://t.co/aQEgOTXCVT
— Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (@Crocus_Urban) August 24, 2023