'Surfaces as a Solution' Climate Resolve Cool Roof Rating Council Kristen Torres Pawling Los Angeles County UC Davis discuss heat resilience strategies (cool walls, cool roofs, cool streets) that improve air quality, reduce energy costs & demand on the grid, and cool neighborhoods down.

Jonathan Parfey of Climate Resolve is kicking off our last panel of the day, 'Road Ahead' with important information! 'Studies are showing that we can delay the impacts of climate change if we implement an aggressive cooling regimen'.

And that's a wrap folks! Thanks to OPR California Natural Resources Agency Assemblywoman Luz Rivas and all who helped make the first #CaliforniaExtremeHeatSymposium a reality. More education on #ExtremeHeat & #CoolingSolutions are needed. This was a step in that direction.

Another audience question for Kristen Torres Pawling -- 'Isn't it time to get #CoolPavement slurry application as an integrated part of the regular street repaving schedule?' Kristen responds, yes AND integrate bike lanes & other street improvements, too!
#CaliforniaExtremeHeatSymposium

LA County CSO just surveyed all 88 cities in #LACounty . They weren't yet prioritizing action on #ExtremeHeat . This means they're not yet considering #CoolStreets to be a part of their mandate. We need more education to increase the prominence of the issue yet.
-Kristen Torres Pawling

Kristen Torres Pawling of LA County CSO emphasizes the multi-benefits of cool surfaces. She's especially moved by the #AirQuality improvements from #CoolSurfaces and the #UrbanCooling that they deliver.
#CaliforniaExtremeHeatSymposium

Opportunities according to Sarah Schneider, Deputy Director of Cool Roof Rating Council :
- mandates from local government for ALL tools in the toolbox
- get USDOT Research to start funding #CoolPavement research on par w/ U.S. Department of Energy's research on #CoolRoofs & #CoolWalls

#CoolSurface research needs per Dr. John Harvey of UC Davis Pavement Research Center:
- create better products especially for playgrounds to optimize for human thermal comfort & prolonged durability to reduce maintenance costs
- build a database of #EPDs
- prioritize locations

According to @official_CRRC some co-benefits of #CoolSurfaces include:
- less air conditioning saves money for building occupants, decreases GHGs & air pollution from power generation at dirty peaker plants
- lower air temps slows the production of smog = improved air quality

The solar forcing benefits of #CoolPavement do outweigh the carbon footprint of producing #CoolPavement
Still, we'd like to see #EnvironmentalProductDeclarations (lifecycle impacts) improve for these infant industry products.
Government contracting standards can push this.

'Heat waves are a really traumatic experience. I have family members who are outdoor workers and elderly. Community resilience looks like people having somewhere safe to cool off. People could decide to not go to work in extreme heat, & get hazard pay.'
-Natalie M. Hernandez (she/her)

'We're looking for a park and shade so we can walk there. The streets aren't safe. As a society, we aren't seeing and valuing the experiences of community members in these neighborhoods. We need our leadership to make commitments to rectify this.' - Rachel Rios of La Familia Counseling Center

Rachel Rios of La Familia Counseling Center adds:
- workforce trainings are needed to fully involve community partners
- be flexible. A one-size-fits-all approach won't do the trick. Local cultural practices must be utilized to really reach people.