Warmup

How does deforestation affect our climate?

How do you calculate your carbon footprint?

2.6.3B EXPLAIN HOW LARGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTES TO REGIONAL CHANGES IN CLIMATE

(I.E. HEAT ISLANDS IN LARGE CITIES LIKE NY, CHICAGO, BEIJING, ETC).

Heat Islands

What do you think an Urban Heat Island is? What does it sound like?

Explain what this picture shows. Improve your definition of Heat

Island.

The term "heat island" refers to urban air and surface temperatures that are higher than nearby rural areas.

What factors can cause a Heat Island?

Think about it!

Explain how these factors work to promote a heat island.

Concrete and man made surfaces

Less water in the soil and environment

Excess energy from buildings

Heat Islands

The principal reason for the nighttime warming is that buildings block surface heat from radiating into the relatively cold night sky.

Tar, asphalt, brick and concrete absorb insolation and release it as heat, rather than reflecting it (without heat) like soil does.

Rural vs Urban

During the day in rural areas, the solar energy absorbed near the ground evaporates water from the vegetation and soil. Thus, causes evaporative cooling.

In cities, where there is less vegetation, the buildings, streets and sidewalks absorb the majority of solar energy input.

What about the buildings and the people in them?

Make a list of the heat/pollution producing activities that humans take part in that would be more common in a city….

Remember, the way the heat island effect works, is that it increases the overall temperature of the city. (a bit like the greenhouse effect)

But in particular, it raises night time temperatures (not always day time) by the slow releasing of heat.Which makes an overall increase

Example: Night temperatures in Phoenix are 7 to 13 degrees F warmer than before 1970

Effects of Heat Islands

Can raise temperatures over cities 1 to more than 10 degrees F over that of surrounding areas.

Can increase peak energy demandAir conditioning costs increaseAir pollution increaseHeat-related illness and mortality increase

Activity: CO2: How much do you spew?

In groups of no more than 3, calculate how much CO2 your “family” produces each year. Use the data from the family sheets to gather your

information. Use the directions on the back of your notes to guide

you and record your data and calculationsBe ready to share your results with the class

Activity: CO2: How much do you spew?

What does this mean?The total pounds of CO2 you just calculated is only

one third of the emissions for which this family is responsible. The other two thirds come from the businesses that provide the family with services such as stores and factories.

If you just calculated less than 11,000 pounds per person, then the family you are analyzing is to be congratulated. They are using less energy than 1990 levels, which is compliant with Kyoto Protocol recommendations (CO-OP America Quarterly).

Activity: CO2: How much do you spew?

Questions to DiscussThe Kyoto Protocol recommended that emissions be

reduced to at or below 1990 levels. That means less than 11,000 pounds of CO2 per person per year. Is the family you analyzed meeting that goal?

What activities emitted the most CO2 for the family you examined?

Could those activities be changed to emit less CO2? How?

How would you change your scenario to reduce CO2?

Warmup

Option 1: Design an experiment so that we could measure if Apex has a heat island.

Option 2: Design an experiment to see if the heat island is related to urbanization.

Remember, an experiment must include a hypothesis, list of procedures to follow, and what data to collect and how to collect it.

1.How does waste disposal affect climate change? What items are recyclable in your community? What are some other ways you could reduce waste (other than recycling)?

2. Name some energy uses that were NOT included in the carbon calculator (for example, the energy required to manufacture, process, and transport material goods and food items).

3. What are additional benefits, other than reduced CO2 emissions, of reducing energy use?

4. How might reducing CO2 emissions improve your quality of life?

5. Carbon footprints can be calculated not only for individuals, but for countries and regions as well. What factors are likely to increase a country’s carbon footprint?