Uploaded on 2016-04-27 by SofiaDaris

I live in São Paulo, the biggest city of Brazil. I can easily recognize that the temperatures in my city are much higher than those in suburbs or rural areas nearby. For instance, in the exact moment I wrote this text, the temperature in São Paulo was 17°C, characteristic of the beginning of autumn. However, the simultaneous temperature in Brotas, a neighboring city in a more rural area, was 15°C. The difference of only 2°C illustrates my point, although the value is not so relevant. ![Aerial view of São Paulo][1] The first image, taken by Marcos Santos, and obtained in the public website of the University of São Paulo (USP), in an aerial view of the city of São Paulo. We can see that there is very little vegetation, since the buildings seem to occupy all possible space. There is a significant formation of street canyons in various ways. Theses characteristics contribute to the high urban temperatures of São Paulo in relation to those in Brotas. ![Aerial view of Brotas][2] The second image, obtained in the public website michelechristine.wordpress.com, is an aerial view of the city of Brotas. We can see that there is much more vegetation and nature involvement in the city than in São Paulo. In addition, the street canyons are few. These characteristics contribute to the low temperatures of Brotas in comparison to São Paulo. 3. I would propose the cultivation of more trees and plants in general in the urban area, especially in the more affected ones, as well as the creation and improvement of parks. I would also propose for the local government the use of more conscience campaigns about using alternative means of transportation instead of cars and other gas-based vehicles, in order to generate less pollution and minimize the UHI effect. It would also be good to regulate more fiercely the industry and all types of mechanisms that release toxic gases in the atmosphere, by requiring the use of filters and carburetors, for instance. Since the structure of buildings, and therefore the street canyons will probably not be changed, these measures will be effective in diminishing the UHI effect and the temperatures in São Paulo. 4. The weather in my city is becoming hotter and dryer every year. Some people and local governments are putting efforts in order to reverse the situation, but in fact they are not enough and don’t present practically any results. The mayor of São Paulo invested in bicycle lanes across the entire city to incentive the use of non-gas-based vehicles. However, public campaigns about it were not so present, and therefore not many people use them actively. In addition, their creation has even worsened traffic jams. However, more and more people are developing new projects on the topic. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14618003096929799.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14618003513943023.jpg