A little greenery may reduce the effects of the heat island – WBNews

Grass may help keep temperatures lower, but it needs water to survive. (Photo: Emmanuel Lozano/The Republic) Today’s question: A recent article on “hot Phoenix” ended with effects of Phoenix’s urban sprawl creating a heat island, exacerbated by a lack of vegetation and more pavement and buildings. Years ago residents were encouraged to rip up lawns and replace grass with stones/pebbles to conserve water. Didn’t that cause the heat island? You need get up and go for a long drive and see the sights. Then you should study the Valley’s population growth since World War II and go to the zoning offices of each city in the area to see how much land has been designated for commercial or industrial over that time and go over scientific reports on the heat absorption rates of concrete and asphalt, watered lawns, loose gravel and desert sands. Oh wait, that’s what I’m supposed to do to be a responsible journalist and provide you with a complete and accurate answer to your question. Well, I think we all know that’s not going to happen anytime soon. Let’s just leave it at this: A neighborhood with great swaths of greenery may be a tad cooler than the area around it. It also will guzzle a lot of water and require a lot of fertilizer and weed killers. There are a few neighborhoods around the Valley that are graced by such greenery, but they are dwarfed by the vast expanses of concrete and asphalt that suck up…more detail

Để lại một bình luận

Email của bạn sẽ không được hiển thị công khai. Các trường bắt buộc được đánh dấu *