Originally aired on NBC Bay Area: Friday, April 22, 2022
By Joe Rosato Jr.
Over the past few years, San José has experienced the impacts of climate change in the form of rising temperatures and scorching heatwaves. Flooding from extreme storms is another imminent threat. Urban green infrastructure can mitigate these impacts, all while keeping pollution out of the Bay and providing invaluable physical and mental health benefits to surrounding communities. Infrastructure like green roofs and rain gardens have a multitude of benefits: they decrease carbon emissions by encouraging walking and biking, reduce urban heat, and provide habitat for birds and pollinators. By allowing for stormwater to filter and drain away from streets, urban greening also reduces the risk of flooding and removes pollution before that water flows into the Bay. Save The Bay is urging cities to convert their landscapes from gray to green, shifting away from concrete and asphalt and towards nature-based infrastructure. These efforts should focus on historically under-invested neighborhoods like East San José that lack green spaces and tree canopy.
