Weather and the Built Environment
Produced by the COMET® Program in partnership with the National Environmental Education Foundation
Presented by (YOUR NAME HERE)
Weather and the Built Environment
Program

Building up America
 Population
and growth trends today
 History of growth in America


How our buildings affect water
How our buildings affect air
 The
Urban Heat Island
 Air Quality

What you can do to help
U.S. population is growing
What is the
projected
population for
2040?
a. 315 million
b. 385 million
c. 400 million
d. 475 million
Where we are building
We are
growing along
the coasts and
in the west –
areas prone to
tropical storms,
hurricanes, fires
and droughts.
Land use is accelerating
Even in areas
with little or no
population
growth, the rate
of land use is
accelerating.
“Bigger is better”
But it also means
more land and
resources are
consumed. Homes,
stores, and yards
have all been
getting bigger.
Average home
sizes through the
years in square
feet:
1950s…900
1972…1400
2000…2000
Industrialization and the birth of suburbs
How did we get
here? It began
with the urge to
escape dirty
cities. Trolley
lines made a
new concept
possible: the
commute to the
suburbs.
Inventions that changed the world:
The car
Mass production
of cars and
homes by exwar assembly
lines after
World War II
further
encouraged
remote suburbs.
Inventions that changed the world:
The air conditioner
Air conditioning
made the south
much more
livable yearround – and it
sure beat
hauling ice!
But AC and
central heating
also come at a
price: energy.
How cities affect water
Hard surfaces
Impermeable
surfaces like
roads, buildings
or compacted
soil force more
water to run off
the land, rather
than sinking into
it and
replenishing
underground
aquifers, major
water sources for
drinking and
irrigation.
If all the hard surfaces in America were
smooshed together, how much land
would they cover?
A. California (163,395 square miles)
B. Florida (65,755 square miles)
C. Ohio (44,825 square miles)
D. Rhode Island (5,544 square miles)
How cities affect water
Pollution
Water that runs
off built-up
surfaces
frequently picks
up pollutants like
chemicals,
bacteria, organic
matter, and heat.
All of these can
cause problems
both in your
neighborhood
and downstream.
How our buildings affect watersheds
Flooding
Much more
stormwater runs
off more
quickly over
built areas.
Flash flooding
becomes more
common and
dangerous,
potentially
overwhelming
sewage systems.
How cities affect water
Urban design
Factors that
contribute to
weather-related
runoff problems
include
downspouts
routed to
driveways
instead of lawns,
required
setbacks,
compacted soil,
and overly large
parking lots.
How much water can be collected off of a
roof measuring two thousand square
feet -- a typical size -- during a oneinch rainfall event?
A. 55 gallons
B. 100 gallons
C. 500 gallons
D. 1000 gallons
How cities affect air
The Urban
Heat Island
In cities, the
built surfaces
absorb heat
better than
surfaces like
grass and trees
in the
countryside.
As a result,
cities are
measurably
warmer than
their
surroundings.
How cities affect air
Factors that create
the heat island
* Building materials
and urban design.
* Plants transpire,
or breathe water,
and displacing
them removes an
important source of
natural air
conditioning by
evaporation.
* Cities produce
more waste heat.
How cities affect air
How UHI affects our
weather
UHI is most noticeable
at night and during
high pressure, light
winds, and clear skies.
The effect is so
consistent it raises
average temperatures
in cities. But it is not
the same effect as
global warming.
UHI can also increase
precipitation
downwind from cities
and fog or haze in
them.
How cities affect air
Air pollution and
health
Smog and
particle pollution
created by and
trapped around
cities sickens and
kills tens of
thousands of
people with
asthma, lung and
heart disease
each year.
How cities affect air
Sources
Vehicles and
power plants are
obvious, but less
obvious are
lawnmowers,
fertilizers,
pesticides,
paints, varnishes
and cleaning
agents.
Natural sources
include wildfires,
sand and dust
storms, pollen,
and volcanic
eruptions.
How cities affect air
Ozone
*Ground-level
ozone, unlike
beneficial
stratospheric
ozone, harms
human health by
damaging lung
tissue.
*Ozone is worse in
summer, as it’s
formed by a
reaction between
exhaust fume
chemicals and
sunlight.
How cities affect air
Particle
pollution
This pollution is
made up of
ultra-fine
particles that
are dangerous
because of their
size: they are
small enough to
pass from your
lungs into your
bloodstream.
How cities affect air
Greenhouse
gasses
Air pollution
sources also
generate
greenhouse
gasses. These
gasses are
changing Earth’s
climate and
landscape in
ways that may
be detrimental
to humans.
How cities affect air
Finding out about air
quality in your
neighborhood
EPA’s AIRNow site
puts up-to-date air
quality data on PM
2.5 (particulates)
and ozone for your
region at your
fingertips.
http://airnow.gov
How you can help
Watersheds and Water Quality
 Plant
a tree.
 Sweep driveways and sidewalks with a broom instead of
hosing them off.
 Let part of your landscape “go wild.”
 Add or replace sidewalks with gravel, grass, mulch, or
permeable pavement.
 Capture runoff with plants and rain gardens
How you can help
Watersheds and Water Quality
 Properly
dispose of oil, antifreeze, paint, and yard wastes.
 After heavy rains, wait to run the dishwasher or washing
machine to prevent sewer overflows.
 Stabilize the soils your yard with grass and mulch.
 Cover exposed dirt during construction projects.
 Encourage your city and county to take action, too.
Rain gardens and permeable pavement
Permeable asphalt
Impermeable asphalt
Buffer zones and native vegetation
For the really adventurous
A green roof
How you can help
Air quality – Save energy (and money)
 Plant
a tree.
 Unplug small appliances when not in use.
 Insulate your water heater.
 Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs.
 Seal leaks around doors and windows.
 Turn down the thermostat 10-15 percent while asleep or
away.
 Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances.
 Have your cooling and heating systems inspected annually.
How you can help
Protecting air quality in other ways
Combine errands into fewer trips.
 Buy electric or battery-operated garden equipment.
 Avoid engine idling whenever possible.
 Walk, bike, bus or carpool to work/school when possible.
 Keep your vehicle’s engine maintained and tires properly
inflated.
 Fill up gas tanks early in the morning or late in the evening.
 Make sure wood-burning chimneys/stoves are clean and
properly vented and use only dry wood.

Thank you!