Literature v3 · Research topic
Do more trees mean cleaner air and cooler streets in your neighborhood?
We'll combine EPA air quality and NOAA temperature data to see if neighborhoods with more trees are both cooler and less polluted.
Why this matters
As cities bake under record heat, a hidden inequality emerges: wealthier neighborhoods stay cooler while low-income areas swelter. But could the very trees planted to provide shade also trap pollution? By merging EPA air quality monitors with NOAA temperature data, we can uncover whether green infrastructure solutions inadvertently create new health risks for the most vulnerable.
Project scores
Difficulty
This 8-week project is suitable for a high school student with some background in data analysis and environmental science. You will learn to merge and analyze large datasets from EPA and NOAA, perform statistical tests, and interpret spatial patterns. Expect to spend time on data cleaning and visualization. Prerequisites: basic statistics and familiarity with spreadsheet or Python/R.
3 of 5 difficulty
Strengths
- Addresses a timely and socially relevant issue
- Integrates multiple public data sources
- Clear and testable hypothesis
Skills built
Zero-cost data
Zero-cost dataResearch gap
As cities bake under record heat, a hidden inequality emerges: wealthier neighborhoods stay cooler while low-income areas swelter. But could the very trees planted to provide shade also trap pollution? By merging EPA air quality monitors with NOAA temperature data, we can uncover whether green infrastructure solutions inadvertently create new health risks for the most vulnerable.
Curriculum alignment
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