#160: Throwing Shade at the Heat Crisis with Passive Cooling With ThermoShade

In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Emily Dinino, Founder and CEO of ThermoShade, about how extreme heat is reshaping cities, infrastructure, and daily life, and what it will take to adapt. As the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S., rising temperatures are exposing gaps in how we design public spaces, especially in underserved communities. Emily shares how ThermoShade is developing passive-cooling panels that reduce surface temperatures without relying on energy-intensive systems, and how the technology is being piloted in urban transit, agriculture, and temporary off-grid shelters. The conversation explores the science behind radiative cooling, the realities of deploying climate tech in public infrastructure, and why resilience, not just mitigation, needs to be a bigger part of the climate conversation.

Key Points:

• Extreme heat is a design problem as much as a climate problem – Urban heat islands, driven by materials like concrete and metal, disproportionately impact underserved communities and require rethinking how public spaces are built and shaded.
• Passive cooling can reduce heat without adding strain to the grid – ThermoShade’s panels use radiative cooling and phase change materials to maintain lower surface temperatures, creating environments that can feel significantly cooler without relying on fans, misters, or air conditioning.
• Deploying climate tech depends on working within existing systems – Rather than replacing infrastructure, ThermoShade is integrating into existing contracts and designs, such as retrofitting bus shelters through established partners.

• Emily Dinino, CEO and Founder of ThermoShade, LinkedIn

• Luis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications