V. Kelly Turner, associate director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI), was interviewed for a NBC 7 story about the cooling impact of special surface coatings that may reduce heat by reflecting light instead of absorbing it. The story is focused on a parking lot in San Diego’s Mission Bay coated with a product designed to reduce surrounding temperatures, or the “urban heat island” effect. “Surfaces like asphalt are really, really hot because they soak up a lot of the sun’s energy and slowly re-radiate it back throughout the day,” Turner said. She added that a lighter surface can quickly reflect more of the sun’s heat and, as part of a comprehensive cooling approach, may drop the overall temperature in an urban area by a couple of degrees. Lighter pavement is a start, but the best way cities and people can get cooler is by adding more trees to create shade, she said.