Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Photo courtesy of the EPA

Our newest report “Harnessing Nature” explains that as the effects of climate change continue to become more pronounced, areas of the U.S. will continue to see increases in temperature.  An example of this is the Chicago region –fresh off its warmest winter in the past 54 years– where the U.S. Global Change Research Program has already recorded a 1.5 degrees F rise in temperatures over the region.  Over the next 100 years it is projected that temperatures will increase by 4 to 10 degrees F, leaving Illinois with a climate more like that of Louisiana and Texas.

A simple and extremely effective tool in combating these warmer temperatures is shade.  Temperatures in the vicinity of trees and other vegetation can be 4 to 9 degrees F lower than areas that are barren.  Not only can shade be an effective way of keeping your house cooler but having more trees planted around your community can have numerous benefits like helping to combat flash flooding, providing habitats for a variety of animals as well as absorbing carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas pollutant.

To learn more about using trees and shade effectively in your community visit the Environmental Protection Agencies’ website.

Our newest report, “Harnessing Nature,” recalls that in 2011, while much of the country was experiencing major flooding, the worst drought and heatwave in memory was hitting much of the southern plains and Southwest, including parts of Texas that saw over 100 days of 100+ temperatures. And other areas are likely to have similar experiences in the future– a panel of scientists recently took a look at the trends in weather and have predicted that there is a greater than 90 percent chance that the “length, frequency and/or intensity” of heat waves will increase over the course of this century.

So what can people do to help offset the negative impacts to their daily lives brought about by these extreme temperatures?  One solution is to replace heat-absorbing, black roofs with a green roof or a vegetative layer grown on a rooftop.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists the immediate and significant benefits that come from installing a green roof as: reduced energy use, reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, improved human health and comfort, enhanced storm water management and water quality, and improved quality of life.

The initial cost of installing a green roof is higher than a conventional roof, but it pays off in the long run. Studies have shown that on hot days, green roofs are cooler than the surrounding air temperatures, while conventional roofs can be up to 90 degrees F hotter. To put it in dollars and cents a University of Michigan study found that the savings for a 21,000 square-foot roof over its lifetime amounted to around $200,000 with nearly two thirds of those savings coming from reduced energy needs.

To learn more about green roofs and their benefits check out the EPA’s website.

Photo courtesy of EPA

2011 was a record setting year for extreme weather events that resulted in billions of dollars in damage.  With heat waves and droughts in the south and flooding along the east coast and in the mid-west our nation was pummeled with extreme weather events over the course of the year.

Defenders is working with politicians and government agencies to help plan for more of the inevitable extreme weather we can expect from climate change.  You can check out our recommendations in our latest report “Harnessing Nature.” But there are also some simple things you can do at home to help lessen the impact of these weather events.  One example for people who live in highly urban areas is to plant a rain garden.

Cities and even the suburbs are covered in cement and other impermeable surfaces, either from paved roads, driveways, sidewalks and buildings or highly compacted soil.  The result?  Water from storms is unable to seep into the ground and results in immediate run-off into storm drains or nearby streams and rivers.  Because so much water is falling during extreme weather storms this immediate run-off results in flash flooding across roadways and over stream banks.  A rain garden is a useful addition to your home that gives the water coming off your roof and falling from the sky a place to seep into the ground instead of flowing directly into water-ways. In addition to helping filtrate out harmful pollutants, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, a rain garden will also provide natural habitat for your local wildlife. And they’re pretty too!

Learn more benefits of rain gardens and learn how to set up your own here:

http://www.uri.edu/ce/healthylandscapes/raingarden.htm

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/raingardenbk.pdf