Citing the importance of maps and geographic information databases in understanding problems and opportunities in shifting climate conditions, the White House pointed to a cooperative effort between the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to map the solar potential of Los Angeles County.
Headed by UCLA's Luskin Center for Innovation, the EDF-funded Los Angeles Solar and Efficiency Report (LASER) highlights the susceptibility of specific communities to the challenges of pollution and rising temperatures, as well as areas where development of rooftop solar would be most beneficial and cost-effective.
Described in the context of how data-driven software tools can help foster agricultural resilience, particularly in coastal regions, the White House indicated that public and private initiatives such as LASER advance the president's so-called Climate Data Initiative.
According to the EDF, open data resources can help inform officials and businesses how to invest resources to address pressing environmental challenges on a regional basis.
‘Data mapping tools like LASER provide powerful visualizations of the harmful effects that climate change can have on our most vulnerable populations, while highlighting the potential for significant economic growth and substantially healthier communities,’ says Jorge Madrid, EDF's senior partnerships coordinator.
