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Name ______Chau Vu_____________________________ EPA: Urban Heat Islands Directions: Go to: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/about/index.htm.

Read about Urban Heat Islands and answer the following questions. go to: BASIC INFORMATION 1. Define Urban heat island: As urban areas develop, changes occur in their landscape. Buildings, roads, and other infrastructure replace open land and vegetation. Surfaces that were once permeable and moist become impermeable and dry. These changes cause urban regions to become warmer than their rural surroundings, forming an "island" of higher temperatures in the landscape. 2. Sketch the temperature variations as shown on the website onto the profile below. Discuss which areas are cooler.

Pond is one of the areas that have the cooler in surface temperature (Day). Downtown has a cooler air temperature during the day. 3. How do heat islands form? Describe 2 methods that contribute to higher urban temperatures from heat islands. Heat islands occur on the surface and in the atmosphere. Increased energy consumption: Higher temperatures in summer increase energy demand for cooling and add pressure to the electricity grid during peak periods of demand. Elevated emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases: Increasing energy demand generally results in greater emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Higher air temperatures also promote the formation of groundlevel ozone. Why Do We Care About Heat Islands? 4. Discuss the environmental benefits/detriments of wintertime and summertime heat island areas. Higher temperatures in summer increase energy demand for cooling and add pressure to the electricity grid during peak periods of demand. Higher air temperatures also promote the formation of ground-level ozone. Warmer days and nights, along with higher air pollution levels, can contribute to general discomfort, respiratory difficulties, heat cramps and exhaustion, nonfatal heat stroke, and heat-related mortality. Hot pavement and rooftop surfaces transfer their excess heat to storm water, which then drains into storm sewers and raises water temperatures as it is released into streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. Rapid temperature changes can be stressful to aquatic ecosystems. 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 (also called rooftop gardens or ecoroofs), installing cool-mainly reflective-roofs; and using cool pavements. 6. What is the temperature variance in green roof vs. traditional roof? Green roof temperature is cooler and the traditional roof temperature is up to 90 degrees F.

7. Describe some benefits of green roofs: Reduce storm water runoff, reduce city heat island effect, reduce smog and improve air quality, reduce noise, reduce energy demand, improve aesthetics, provide green space. 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 Heart cramps and heat strokes. Urban Heat Island Mitigation 10. What is a cool pavement? Cool pavements include a range of established and emerging technologies that communities are exploring as part of their heat island reduction efforts. The term currently refers to paving materials that reflect more solar energy, enhance water evaporation, or have been otherwise modified to remain cooler than conventional pavements. Where You Live Click on California- list 2 things that are currently being done to help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands These steps are included in the city's Climate Protection Action Plan and are as follows: 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.

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