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BSEC January 2025 Quarterly Research Update

Over the past several months, most BSEC research theme teams have focused on data analysis and model evaluation related to summer data collection. This has included substantial studies of the air pollution, extreme heat, and vegetation datasets collected in collaboration with Equitable Pathways Steering Committee (EPSC) members and other community organizations. Much of this analysis […]

Air quality

Poor air quality is a leading cause of death and disease worldwide. Breathing polluted air damages lungs and other organs, and can lead to earlier deaths, lung cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders. Air quality tends to be worse in areas with high traffic density or large industrial activities – the areas where lower income […]

Health

Health disparities are a defining feature of life in Baltimore. As reported by the Baltimore Health Department in 2017, there is nearly a 20-year difference in life expectancy between some neighborhoods in Baltimore. The reasons are likely due to a combination of factors: poverty, stress, racial inequities, healthcare access and education, and, possibly environmental conditions, […]

Flooding problem area

The increased intensity of rain storms can exceed the capacity of an area to absorb water, resulting in street flooding. The rising level of the ocean can cause catastrophic flooding during coastal storms, as well as “sunny day flooding” by the shore during exceptionally high tide events, such as at full and new moons. Floods […]

Water and Water Quality

Life on earth cannot survive without water — and yet water can be a hazard to life when it is contaminated with organisms or pollutants that cause illness to humans, vegetation, and animals; when it contains excess nutrients that pollute our waterways; and when it floods streets and buildings. Climate change is bringing increased extreme […]

Energy security problem area

Cities are responsible for more than 60% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and Baltimore City has set ambitious targets to reduce emissions. The path forward will require reducing emissions from a variety of sources, including cars, buildings, waste, and the electricity sources that power the city. How can this be done in a way […]

Heat Problem Area

Excess heat kills people, directly and by exacerbating health issues. This is a particularly serious issue for poor and minority communities in cities, as the areas where these communities usually live have fewer parks, less tree canopy, and can be up to 10 degrees hotter than leafier neighborhoods. In addition, people who live in these […]