1. Define “Urban heat island”: a metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities.
2. Sketch the temperature variations as shown on the website onto the profile below. Discuss which areas are cooler.
The area of the pond is cooler in surface temperature at day. Downtown has a cooler air temperature at day. At night, the rural areas are cooler in both surface and air temperature.
3. How do heat islands form? Describe 2 methods that contribute to higher urban temperatures from heat islands.
Heat islands form as cities replace natural land cover with pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure.
Heat island intensities depend on an area's weather and climate, proximity to water bodies, and topography. Measuring heat islands can help determine how these factors influence the heat island effect.increased energy consumption and elevated emissions of air pollutants
4. Discuss the environmental benefits/detriments of wintertime and summertime heat island areas.increase in peak electricity demands, higher air and water temperature
5. What are some of the things that can be done to reduce the urban heat island effect?
Increasing tree and vegetative cover, creating green roofs and using cool pavements
6. What is the temperature variance in green roof vs. traditional roof?
90 degrees Fahrenheit
7. Describe some benefits of green roofs:
Reduces energy use and air pollution, improve human health and quality of life
Heat Island Impacts
8. What are the 4 major impacts of urban heat islands?
Increased energy consumption, elevated emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, compromised human health and comfort, impaired water quality.
9. Name 2 human health effects of heat islands
contributing to general discomfort, respiratory difficulties, heat cramps and exhaustion, non-fatal heat stroke, and heat-related mortality
Urban Heat Island Mitigation
10. What is a cool pavement?
educing the urban heat island effect
Where You Live
Click on California- list 2 things that are currently being done to help mitigate the effects of urban heat
islands
develop and adopt an urban heat island mitigation policy; support the Community Forest Advisory Board and Community Forest Initiative, which includes planting 5,000 shade trees per year on public property for twenty years; develop a public tree protection policy; and annually review and revise existing policies that are related to tree planting, water reclamation, and open space preservation.
2. Sketch the temperature variations as shown on the website onto the profile below. Discuss which areas are cooler.
The area of the pond is cooler in surface temperature at day. Downtown has a cooler air temperature at day. At night, the rural areas are cooler in both surface and air temperature.
3. How do heat islands form? Describe 2 methods that contribute to higher urban temperatures from heat islands.
Heat islands form as cities replace natural land cover with pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure.
Heat island intensities depend on an area's weather and climate, proximity to water bodies, and topography. Measuring heat islands can help determine how these factors influence the heat island effect.increased energy consumption and elevated emissions of air pollutants
4. Discuss the environmental benefits/detriments of wintertime and summertime heat island areas.increase in peak electricity demands, higher air and water temperature
5. What are some of the things that can be done to reduce the urban heat island effect?
Increasing tree and vegetative cover, creating green roofs and using cool pavements
6. What is the temperature variance in green roof vs. traditional roof?
90 degrees Fahrenheit
7. Describe some benefits of green roofs:
Reduces energy use and air pollution, improve human health and quality of life
Heat Island Impacts
8. What are the 4 major impacts of urban heat islands?
Increased energy consumption, elevated emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, compromised human health and comfort, impaired water quality.
9. Name 2 human health effects of heat islands
contributing to general discomfort, respiratory difficulties, heat cramps and exhaustion, non-fatal heat stroke, and heat-related mortality
Urban Heat Island Mitigation
10. What is a cool pavement?
educing the urban heat island effect
Where You Live
Click on California- list 2 things that are currently being done to help mitigate the effects of urban heat
islands
develop and adopt an urban heat island mitigation policy; support the Community Forest Advisory Board and Community Forest Initiative, which includes planting 5,000 shade trees per year on public property for twenty years; develop a public tree protection policy; and annually review and revise existing policies that are related to tree planting, water reclamation, and open space preservation.