#177: The Hidden Physics Behind Nature's Air Conditioning: A Case for Cooling Credits

A journey through the mathematics of cooling, from simplified approximations to a comprehensive framework that could revolutionize how we measure and value nature's climate services

What follows is the result of a discussion with my dear friend,

Rob de Laet

. He insisted that we need to find a way to create a cooling credit. So here are some thoughts on it.

Picture this: you're walking through a city on a sweltering summer day when you encounter two patches of shade. The first comes from a concrete overpass, the second from a mature oak tree. Both block the same amount of sunlight, yet stepping under the tree feels dramatically cooler. Your skin senses something the simple concept of "shade" cannot capture, the tree is not just blocking heat, it's actively creating coolness through processes that seem almost magical.

This everyday experience points to a profound gap in how we currently measure and value cooling services from nature. We have sophisticated computer models that attempt to quantify these benefits, yet something essential appears to be missing from our calculations. The tree understands how to manipulate energy flows in ways our models only begin to approximate.

What if this gap represents not just a scientific curiosity, but a massive economic opportunity?

What if by understanding the real physics of how natural systems create cooling, we could build more accurate models that unlock billions of dollars in environmental markets?

Today, we embark on a detective story through the mathematics of cooling, deconstructing our current best tool and rebuilding it with the missing physics that nature has perfected over millions of years.

To understand what we're missing, we first need to examine what we currently have. The InVEST Urban Cooling Model represents the gold standard for quantifying cooling services from vegetation. Used by thousands of planners worldwide, it transforms complex ecological processes into manageable calculations that can guide green infrastructure investments.

Let me take you inside this model, line by line, to understand both its brilliance and its limitations.