One sunny afternoon in Manhattan, our friend group was exploring the city when Jennifer suddenly collapsed from a heat stroke. She had to be taken to the hospital, where the doctors told us that it was simply due to the rising temperatures in NYC. That moment was a wake-up call about the growing danger of rising temperatures—urban heat islands—areas that become hotter due to concrete and asphalt replacing natural landscapes. The lack of green spaces due to changing landscapes leads to health risks, including heat exhaustion and poor air quality.