The climate around the world is ever-changing, and different states evaluate these changes in different ways. With rising global temperatures and distinct changes in weather patterns, the impact of climate change has become a pressing reality. It is crucial to confront this issue and understand its implications for our lives, our communities, and our planet. The urgency of the issue and the need for immediate action are undeniable which is why Texas has taken steps to assess this change.
In recent years, Texas has experienced notable shifts in climate patterns, prompting a need for adaptation strategies. As global temperatures continue to rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, Texas has been forced to confront the challenges posed by climate change.
A significant consequence of this global change is the urban heat island effect. “Buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb more heat than natural bodies,” as described by EnviornmentAmerica, “making dense city spaces substantially warmer than surrounding areas.” To counteract this, cities such as Austin, Dallas and Houston Have begun integrating green infrastructure and urban forestry. The city of Dallas is planning an urban forest master plan, Austin is increasing its canopy cover by at least 50% and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department is planning a Legacy Tree Program. All of these programs plan on increasing the planting of trees and shrubbery within the upcoming years. Additionally, Texan cities have established cooling centers and promoted air-conditioned public facilities where people can escape from the soaring temperatures, especially during heat waves.
Texas has also been setting up measures for extreme weather events, such as the Arctic blast that hit the state in 2021. According to KHOU, the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, emphasized the state’s readiness for the cold weather system, urging people to stay indoors during freezing temperatures. The Texas power grid has also undergone improvements, such as expanding battery storage capacity, to withstand winter weather extremes, following the mass power outages during a historic winter storm in February 2021. “After the filleting of winter storm Uri, Texas passed legislation to require grid resources to be winterized,” said sophomore student representative Uzair Jinnah. “Such legislation required numerous upgrades followed by CenterPoint Energy and others. In the following years, 2022-2023, testing ensued during winter, and little to no outages were reported. Hence, Texas has made effective changes until negative results prove otherwise.” Uzair is right, Texas has rigorously been upgrading its energy grid since the past freeze, which ensued in February 2021 and has reported few outages compared to 2021. Texas also opened warming centers in cities like Houston to provide shelter for those without adequate heating.
Texas has effectively been adapting to climate change by implementing several strategies. All these recent adaptations to weather restrictions show how seriously districts are taking climate change and how much of an impact it has on our everyday lives. Though it is a little early to tell the effects of these changes, these adaptations will lead to a positive shift for Texas in the future.
