Record breaking temperatures are expected to hit half the US and Canada this week. Hope you guys are staying hydrated and cool cause I certainly am! Photo by flickr user dustinphillips
A quick look at some of the things that makes sizzling summer days in your city intolerable (or not):
Percentage of Earth’s surface covered by urban area: 3
First year UHI (Urban Heat Island) effect was discovered: 1810
Number of times concrete can hold more heat than equivalent volume of air: 2000
Percentage of New York’s localized warming due to “tar beaches” (black rooftops): 66
Number of heat waves per year in New York today: 14 days
Predicted number of heat wave days in upcoming decades: > 30
Temperature of a conventional rooftop at noon: 80 degrees celsius
Temperature needed to cook an egg on the sidewalk: 35 degrees celsius
Average temperature differences between industrial land uses and parkland: 4.0 degrees celsius
Number of deaths in 2003 Paris heat wave: 15,000
Across Europe: 70,000
Number of deaths attributed to excessive heat exposure in US between 1979-2003: 8000
Equivalent: Greater than total mortalities from hurricanes, lighting, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes combined
Cost to cool buildings in US per year: $40 billion
Cost of UHI effect on energy costs per year in Los Angeles: $100 million
Temperature difference between urban and suburban areas: 10 degrees celsius
Proposed initiative designed to combat UHI: Los Angeles’ Cool Communities
Number of trees to be planted if implemented: 10 million
Number of roofs re-roofed: 5 million
Annual savings from reduced air-conditioning costs: $170 million
Smog-related savings: $360 million