The Guardian: Climate Crisis May Explain Increased Gun Violence

The Guardian pointed to research on Friday which claims the climate crisis may explain increased gun violence.

“Almost 8,000 shootings in US cities in recent years were attributable to unseasonably warm temperatures, according to a new study. The researchers said the work suggested the climate crisis could be contributing to increased gun violence by pushing temperatures beyond the normal ranges,” according to the report.

The study in view examined shootings in 100 United States cities from 2015 to 2020.

Dr. Vivian Lyons of the University of Washington, Seattle, led the research.

Lyons said, “We saw a really consistent overall relationship between temperature and a higher risk of shootings. When we are aware that firearm violence is more likely to happen on hotter days, regardless of the season, it can help inform violence prevention efforts.”

“There is a concern I have, after the study,” she added, “that firearm-related violence will rise as climate change continues.”

Researchers suggest that “increasing tree cover and green spaces can reduce gun violence” because they “cool urban areas.”

On March 10, 2022, Breitbart News reported that Debra Houry, the director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, suggested that planting more trees can reduce gun violence.

The Hill noted that Houry indicated “[I]nitiatives like restoring vacant lots by planting trees and grass have been shown to reduce firearm violence.”

WXOW quoted Houry describing her tree-planting approach as a “greening initiative.” She said, “We’ve also funded research around greening initiatives to where you can go in and make a vacant lot look better by planting grass and trees. That’s been shown to reduce firearm assaults by up to 29% in impoverished areas.”