Heat island effect usually leads to temperature rise in urban center and further influences air circulation as well as climate change. A research initiated by the scientific research team led by Professor Li Canbing and Professor Cao Yijia of Hunan University shows that to replace traditional autos with electric automobiles can not only lower the temperature in urban center but also reduce greenhouse gas emission. The research result was publicized on Scientific Report recently.

At present, it is controversial whether the electric automobiles can help tackle global and regional climate changes. They are believed to pollute less with less emission when running, but some people still argue that their manufacturing procedures would cause more pollution. Li holds that to tackle climate changes requires comprehensive works, instead of merely depending on electric automobiles. Actually, the replacement of traditional automobiles aims to responding to the fossil fuel crisis, with additional benefits of lowering the temperature in urban center and reducing greenhouse gas emission.

An urban heat island (UHI) is a city or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities.

Translated by Zhou Xin