The Climate Divide: Season 1
Heat Disparity in Washington D.C.

Season 1 of “The Climate Divide” explores the correlation between housing discrimination and the lack of green spaces in some D.C. neighborhoods. These densely populated urban blocks can be as much as 20 degrees warmer than historically wealthier and more bucolic wards in the District.

Learn more about “The Climate Divide” and listen in Spanish.

Season 1 Episodes

Episode 1

The sweltering summer months in Washington DC can be even more unbearable if you live in an overdeveloped area with little trees. In this episode, we introduce the causes of the heat island effect and break down how this heat disparity plays out in DC.

Episode 2

This episode takes a look back at an interview Hola Cultura did with Dr. Matt Levy, an expert in emergency medicine. Dr. Levy explains the various health complications caused by extreme heat and provides some everyday solutions.

Episode 3

There is no doubt that trees are pivotal as a means of mitigating extreme heat. But there are many obstacles that stand in the way of providing more vegetation in cities.

Episode 4

DC is one of many cities that was shaped by discriminatory housing policies. Have those policies had any influence on the heat disparity we see today?

Episode 5

The Climate Divide host Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe and Hola Cultura’s Executive Director Christine MacDonald interview Tommy Wells, the Director of the DC Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE). Their conversation centers on the DOEE’s efforts to combat extreme heat. 

Episode 6

Being in the midst of a heat wave can make it hard to learn. Especially if you are in a classroom without working AC. In this episode, we speak with a researcher who studied the impact heat can have on our cognitive function, and investigate the frequent occurrence of malfunctioning AC units in DC schools. 

Episode 7

In this follow-up to episode 6, we look into how the DC government is responding to broken air conditioning systems.

Episode 8

Heat islands are a complex problem in need of multifaceted solutions. In this episode, we examine what heat-adaptation plans the DC government has in place and how they plan to protect the most vulnerable populations.

Episode 9

The Climate Divide host Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe and Hola Cultura Executive Director Christine MacDonald have a discussion with Melissa Guevara from Groundwork RVA, Laura Sivels from Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection and Sandra Banisky from the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland at College Park. All three were a part of heat island campaigns over the past few years. The conversation centers on major takeaways from their respective projects and the work that lies ahead.

Production Team

This podcast was produced by Hola Cultura’s SPEL storytelling program.

The Climate Divide production team includes host and editor Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe with additional editing by Claudia Peralta Torres and Jose Luis Mendoza and additional reporting by Lucía Matamoros, Talia Jackson, Jennifer Alfaro and Barbara Ron-Giron. The project director is Christine MacDonald, Hola Cultura’s executive director.

Heat Islands Maps

The maps below illustrate the differences in temperature and vegetation across the city.

Heat Islands in Washington DC

DC’s Tree Canopy: Neighborhoods with the most and least trees