As Heat Waves Increase, Green Roofs Could Help Cool Texas Cities
Sourced from Texas Climate News
Heat kills. In the U.S. it accounts for more than 600 deaths each year. More than a third of heat-related deaths in the 15-year period ending in 2018 occurred in Arizona, California and Texas.
A 2020 study suggests that by the end of the century heat exposure may lead to approximately 50,000 premature deaths annually in a “moderate” climate-warming scenario.*
The problem can be especially acute in urban areas. Thanks to hard surfaces such as pavement and heat generated by human activity, cities typically are a few degrees warmer than surrounding rural areas, and they cool down less at night. Heat waves, projected to grow in intensity, frequency and duration, will disproportionately affect urban areas. Cooling off our cities is literally a matter of life and death.
One way to help do so is using white building roofs, which have increased reflectivity, or green roofs, which are covered in vegetation.
A recent study used historic Landsat 5 satellite imagery to evaluate the cooling effects of green roofs. The researchers analyzed sites in Chicago, but their method can be used elsewhere.
From the Living Architecture Monitor
