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Urban Green Spaces Are Increasingly Vital for Preventing Heat-Related Deaths, Analysis Finds

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27 Oct, 2024

This post was originally published on Eco Watch

As global warming worsens, green spaces in urban areas will play an important role in providing respite. According to a new analysis, these urban green spaces will be crucial in preventing heat-related deaths, which have been on the rise in recent years.

The analysis, published in BMJ Open, reviewed a selected 12 studies on the influence of urban green spaces on heat-related diseases and deaths published from January 2000 to December 2022. The studies took place in Hong Kong, Australia, Vietnam, the U.S., South Korea, Portugal and Japan.

According to the analysis, green spaces showed to improve health for residents of urban areas, and these green spaces were particularly beneficial to vulnerable populations, including elderly adults and children.

Studies in Australia and Japan revealed that adding more vegetation to urban spaces could reduce heat, including by 0.5 to 2 degrees Celsius in Melbourne Central Business District specifically, as well as reduce mortality rates related to heat stress. Further, the analysis determined that urban green spaces could reduce heat-related diseases and deaths as well as provide economic value.

On the other hand, one study examined in the analysis found that about one in four lives lost in heat waves could be saved, and a study in Seoul, South Korea revealed that areas with low vegetation and high temperatures had a high mortality effect.

Aerial drone view of downtown Seoul, South Korea. ES3N / iStock / Getty Images Plus

“A review of urban greenery and its effect on heat-related morbidity and mortality suggests that urban green spaces, such as parks and trees, can have a positive impact on reducing the negative health effects associated with high temperatures,” the analysis authors wrote. “Studies have found that areas with more green space have lower rates of heat-related morbidity and mortality compared with areas with less green space. Moreover, urban greenery can also have a positive impact on mental health and well-being, which can also contribute to reducing the negative health effects of high temperatures.”

According to a separate study published in JAMA in August 2024, heat-related deaths increased by as much as 117% from 1999 to 2023 in the U.S. alone, or by around 63% when adjusting for age.

As such, the authors of that study had recommended that officials consider expanding access to public cooling and hydration centers to mitigate heat-related deaths. 

Additionally, urban planners may want to consider integrating more green spaces for further physical and mental health benefits.

“Greenery helps lower ambient temperatures, which is especially beneficial during heatwaves in urban areas,” Ahsana Nazish, lead author of the analysis on urban green spaces and a researcher at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told Euronews. “Beyond physical health, access to green spaces enhances mental well-being, further mitigating the negative health impacts of high temperatures.”

Nazish added that cities will need to invest more in green infrastructure to increase resilience to global warming.

The post Urban Green Spaces Are Increasingly Vital for Preventing Heat-Related Deaths, Analysis Finds appeared first on EcoWatch.

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ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB receives EPD status for gearless mill drive ring motor

ABB has gained Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) status for its Gearless Mill Drive (GMD) ring motor — technology used to drive large grinding mills in the mining industry.

An EPD is a standardised document that provides detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle. Based on a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, the EPD highlights ABB’s commitment to transparency, environmental responsibility and supporting customers in making informed decisions on sustainability in their supply chains.

ABB analysed the environmental impact of a ring motor across its entire life cycle from supply chain and production to usage and end-of-life disposal. The study was conducted for a ring motor of a semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill with an installed power of 24 MW and was based on a reference service life of 25 years.

“Sustainability is at the core of our purpose at ABB, influencing how we operate and innovate for customers,” said Andrea Quinta, Sustainability Specialist at ABB. “By earning the Environmental Product Declaration for our ring motor, we emphasise our environmental stewardship and industry leadership for this technology. We adhered to the highest standards throughout this process, as we do in the ABB Ring Motor factory every day. This recognition highlights to the mining industry what they are bringing into their own operations when they work with ABB.”

The comprehensive LCA was conducted at ABB’s factory in Bilbao, Spain, and was externally verified and published in accordance with international standards ISO 14025 and ISO 14040/14044. It will remain valid for five years.

The ring motor, a key component of the GMD, is a drive system without any gears where the transmission of the torque between the motor and the mill is done through the magnetic field in the air gap between the motor stator and the motor rotor. It optimises grinding applications in the minerals and mining industries by enabling variable-speed operation, leading to energy and cost savings.

The full EPD for the ABB GMD Ring Motor can be viewed on EPD International.

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