Data: Climate Central; Note: "Cooling degree days" represent how much daily average temperatures in a time period need to be cooled to reach 65°F; Chart: Axios Visuals
Portland classrooms need more cooling during back-to-school season now compared with past decades, a new Climate Central analysis finds.
Why it matters: Maintaining a comfortable and healthy environment in schools is key to kids' educational success, but that's getting harder amid a warming climate.
"Buildings can be retrofitted with better windows and insulation to reduce energy waste, and existing fossil-fuel burning systems can be replaced with safer, more energy-efficient options," per Climate Central.