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In cities, the trend is compounded by the fact that the built environment absorbs and retains more heat than the rural area around it, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect.

The lawsuit states that the revelation concerning the drop in carbon sequestration necessitates environmental review, and that the modifications — described as attempts to mitigate what’s known as the urban heat island effect — also require analysis under CEQA.

This suggests that cities and their warmer temperatures -- known as the urban heat island effect -- may be facilitating the spread of spotted lanternflies further north into colder regions, including areas previously thought to be too cold for the insects to thrive.

Urban green spaces provide shade for city dwellers facing rising temperatures brought on by climate change, but how much relief from the heat island effect do they provide when humidity is factored in?

It’s called the heat island effect, where the effect of rising temperatures is worsened when the heat and sunlight are amplified and reflected back into the environment by the concrete, cement and glass used to build structures.