John McDonald

Branding. Internet. Global.

[Give A Shit About Nature @giveashitnature]

On a hot July day, a single mature tree in your yard pumps somewhere around 100 gallons of water up from its roots and out through its leaves as water vapor. A mature elm with 150,000 leaves can clear that in a day.

As that water evaporates off the leaf surface, it carries heat away with it, the same basic physics that makes sweat work. The air around the canopy drops measurably.

The cooling effect of a single large tree transpiring 100 gallons of water is roughly equivalent to two household air conditioning units running all day. Except it runs on sunlight and groundwater, costs nothing, and has been doing it since before your house was built.

A yard with mature canopy runs 5 to 10 degrees cooler than a paved or treeless yard next door. That's not a feeling. It's a physics difference you can measure with a thermometer. The urban heat island is real, and it gets worse one removed tree at a time.

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is this weekend, before another hot ass July like this one comes around.

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@ChloeKoast Need to walk dogs on grass, dirt paths, or under shade trees as the surface temps for these areas are much cooler. The more we reduce grass/mature trees in our community per #AB356, the less places our dogs and ourselves have to enjoy outside. #urbanheatisland

[New Mexico Vibes @NewMexicoVibes]

A little gift today. Cactus bloom. #NewMexico

[Las Vegas Locally 🌴 @LasVegasLocally]

It's official: the federal government is cutting Nevada's Colorado River water allocation by 28%, the biggest cut in state history.

California's cut is just 12%.

Las Vegas recycles 99% of the water it uses indoors.

California recycles 22% of its wastewater.

[Denver7 News @DenverChannel]

"I enjoyed watching the sunrise play out over Sprague Lake this morning, seeing the colors appear in the sky and then the alpenglow on Otis, Hallet, and Flattop."

(📸: Jan Waterhouse Photography | See more Colorado photography: https://t.co/pt5hW7IBOE)

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@repdinatitus Simple measures like shade trees in public parking lots would make a big difference. The #AB356 trend to replace grass and mature shade trees with pavement & rocks has its consequences. #urbanheatisland

[American Wild Horse Conservation @FreeWildHorses]

We've watched Applejack grow from his earliest days, and his story is a reminder of why Fish Springs Conservancy matters. 🌿

Healthy habitat. Wild horses. A future worth protecting. 🐴

Photos: John T. Humphrey

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@News3LV #Vegas concrete/asphalt surfaces can easily reach
160 degrees under summer desert sun. Yet it can be much cooler under shade. That's why preserving decades old mature trees & grass is so important. #AB356 is making it hotter & more unhealthy for #LasVegas. #urbanheatisland.

[Denver7 News @DenverChannel]

"St. Mary's Glacier."

(📸: Loreal Angela | See more Colorado photography: https://t.co/pt5hW7IBOE)

[Denver7 News @DenverChannel]

(📸: Dawn Wilson | See more Colorado photography: https://t.co/pt5hW7IBOE)

[Prarie Patriot @russcar10now]

Good morning from Wyoming

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@abc15 @tsegerblom @Commishbecker @MichaelNaft @unlv @DRIScience Hope #LasVegas is studying this growing #urbanheatisland problem as Phoenix is. In the past the desert replenished itself overnight. Now its mid 90s b/f 8 am. Community perspectives are needed, not just high paid lobbyists

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@8NewsNow Just read @reviewjounal story "Lake Mead inches from all time low." We can see the lake has lower levels. But apparently not so low as to give away 28% of Nevada's CO River allotment for financial incentives and considerations.

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@LasVegasLocally the blacktop in the direct sun is probably 150 or 160 degrees according to AI .

[US Department of the Interior @Interior]

Hey, look up. 🌕

On July 29, the full Buck Moon will light up the night sky.

Named for the time of year when male deer begin growing new antlers, July's full moon is a good reminder to step outside, slow down and spend a little time gazing at the night sky.

Photo of full moon rise over Death Valley National Park by Tom Morris

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@abc15 @AlanHalaly @reviewjournal @dspinv13 #LasVegas still has many decades old mature trees that provide shade & cooling but they need to be cared for by the city/county better. All areas of our valley benefit from growing and maintaining tree canopies.

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@News3LV @AaronDFordNV @JosephMLombardo @nevada_puc @reviewjournal @RalstonReports Talk to any Nevadan. They don't want this, they know for sure it means higher bills.

[The Animal Foundation @animalfndlv]

Got a kid who loves animals? 🐶

Children (ages 6–17) can volunteer to help our shelter pets!

Sketch-a-Pet – Draw our animals to help them get adopted

Book Buddies – Read to animals to help them relax

📍 655 N. Mojave Rd, Las Vegas, Nevada

Learn more: https://t.co/4PfJUqZNq4

[John McDonald @3JMac]

@Rodneyxud9 @BillBellis @News3LV @NWSVegas #urbanheatisland effect in action. Paving over the natural desert floor with wall to wall dense construction. Asphalt/blacktop/rocks absorb & trap heat. #ab356 removed grass/mature trees making it hotter. Policymakers mostly ignoring this, should be preserving tree canopies.

[Mt Charleston Mountain Man @mountainman_mc]

More Spring mountain beauty.

📸: Marcia Steen