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The Warming of Los
Angeles
By
the 1990s, average temperatures
in Los Angeles had risen to be 5
degrees Fahrenheit warmer than
in 1940. This was due to the dramatic loss
of Los Angeles County orchards and
farmland in favor of buildings and roads. The increased
concrete and asphalt served to absorb solar heat and heat up
the surrounding atmosphere, causing
a massive "urban heat island." Studies
suggest that a massive planting of trees in the San Fernando
Valley alone could lower average temperatures as much as 9
degrees Fahrenheit.
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