Heat Island Effect

Newsroom Archive

September 2012

As Temps Rise, Cities Combat 'Heat Island' Effect (September 4, 2012) - Atlanta is combating the heat island effect by increasing green space through programs that include urban gardens, farms, and tree planting and preservation.
World's Largest Green Roof Tops a Parking Garage (September 10, 2012) - The 24.5 acre green roof on Millennial Park’s garage in downtown Chicago helps to mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce storm water runoff, lower energy consumption, provide acoustic protection, and create habitat for birds and insects.
Rooftop Farms Next Logical Step in “Green” Building (September 11, 2012) - Rooftop farms help with food production while providing the benefits of traditional green roofs, which include lower building temperatures, energy costs, and stormwater runoff.
Minimizing the Urban Heat Island Effect Could Reduce Rainfall (September 12, 2012) - Researchers from Arizona State University found that increasing reflectivity by painting roofs white may modify hydroclimatic processes and reduce rainfall in Arizona's Sun Corridor, which is centered upon the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
Berkeley Lab Researchers Showcase Cool Pavement Technologies (September 13, 2012) - Researchers from the Berkeley Lab Heat Island Group applied six coatings of different colors to a parking lot to evaluate performance.
PS 41 Unveils Green Roof (September 21, 2012) - PS 41, a public school in New York City, completed a green roof that also serves as an outdoor science lab for students.
Online Tools Makes The Cost-Effective Case For Green Roofs (September 27, 2012) - Portland State University developed an online Green Roof Energy Calculator to compare the annual energy performance of a building with a vegetative green roof to the same building with either a dark roof or a white roof.

August 2012

Downtown Chicago's Millennium Garages Home to the Largest Green Rooftop in the World(August 3, 2012) - A park atop two of Millennium Garages' underground parking locations and an active commuter rail yard has been named the world's "Largest Green Roof." The City of Chicago is home to more green rooftops than any other city in the country.
Portland Tree Canopy Spreading, Study Finds (August 9, 2012) - An aerial imagery study released by the Portland Bureau of Parks and Recreation shows that the city's tree canopy has grown over the past 10 years, and now covers nearly 30 percent of the city.
Green City: Baton Rouge May be Most Tree-covered City in United States (August 13, 2012) - A study of the more than 1 million trees within Baton Rouge's city limits finds that the canopy covers 44 percent of the city, possibly a larger percentage than what can be found in any other North American city.
GreenScaped Buildings Installs Living Wall at Fashion Valley (August 14, 2012) - Living walls or green walls are structures that allow plant materials to grow on a building, but have the added benefit of allowing them to grow on vertical spaces indoors or outdoors.
Urban Heat Island Effect And Climate Change May Cause Scorching City Temperatures (August 15, 2012) - A recent paper finds that urbanization alone could drive local temperatures up by 7°F by 2050 in some parts of the U.S. – some two or three times higher than the effects of global warming.
Green Roof Movement Goes Domestic(August 16, 2012 - Although green roofs are less common on private homes, this may be changing slowly, especially as more municipalities enact regulations to control stormwater on site rather than allowing it to drain into local sewer systems.
How Cities are Using Nature to Cut Pollutio (August 23, 2012) - A growing number of places, from New York City to Sweden, are investing in everything from rooftop gardens to pollution-filtering assemblages of trees to reduce storm water runoff.

July 2012

To Find Fields to Farm in New York City, Just Look Up (July 11, 2012) - Rooftop commercial agriculture is on the rise in New York City. In addition to providing fresh produce to the city, rooftop farms capture storm water and divert it from the sewer system, as well as lowering greenhouse gas emissions through reducing the distance food travels.
A New PSU Outdoor Learning Area Features Green Walls and Roofs and Serves as a Park (July 11, 2012) - Portland State University unveiled a new outdoor student laboratory that doubles as a community park and features three experiments: green walls, green roofs, and irrigation-free landscaping.
Heat Islands Surrounded on All Sides by Perspiration (July 13, 2012) - The urban heat island effect makes downtown Stockton at least 1 to 2 degrees warmer than the rest of San Joaquin County, and may grow more severe as the city expands outward.
Green Streets Can Cut Pollution, Says Study (July 18, 2012) - A study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology finds that creating “green walls” in urban areas could cut pollution by up to 30%.
Around The World, Cities Plan for Extreme Weather (July 18, 2012) - Cities in the U.S. are putting plans in place to prepare for the increase in extreme weather events, including heat waves and droughts.
Heat in the Heartland: 60 Years of Warming in the Midwest (July 25, 2012) - A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists finds that heat waves have increased in severity and frequency in Chicago over the past six decades.
Study: Many U.S. cities unprepared for future heat waves (July 26, 2012) - A study examined the climate action plans of 50 major cities and found that only a quarter of them addressed the growing urban heat island effect.

June 2012

New California Building Code Will Save Megawatts (June 3, 2012) - California's new building efficiency standards require nonresidential buildings to employ cool-roof technologies.
'Cool' Paving Materials Helps Lower City Temperatures, Study Finds (June 4, 2012) - A study finds using cool materials to construct roads and walkways is an effective way of lowering urban temperatures.
New Kind of Blue Pigment Has 40 Percent Heat Reflectivity (June 5, 2012) - The patent for a reflective blue pigment has been approved and it is now being considered for commercial applications such as cool roofing.
Grants Give Root to 1,700 Trees in Indiana (June 5, 2012) - The Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Community and Urban Forestry program has awarded funding to 15 cities, towns, and non-profits to plant more than 1,700 trees.
Put a Green Roof On It (June 15, 2012) - American Rivers released an interactive tool to demonstrate the energy and water savings of green roofs.
New Study: Smart Roofs Could Transform California Energy and Water Use (June 15, 2012) - A new study finds that installing green roofs and cool roofs in southern California could save consumers more than $211 million in energy bills and reduce emissions equivalent to removing 91,000 cars from the road each year.
Postal Service Plants Second Green Roof (June 28, 2012) - The U.S. Postal Service announced a 11,300 square foot green roof atop the Colvin-Elmwood Post Office in Syracuse, NY.

May 2012

Missouri Department of Conservation Debuts New Green Roof (May 2, 2012) – The Missouri Department of Conservation’s new green roof is home to 3300 Missouri native plants, which were chosen because they require less water and maintenance.
Urban Group Wants to Help Cool Down Louisville's Heat Island (May 6, 2012) – A study shows that Louisville’s rate of warming is higher than other large cities in the United States. Louisville officials are taking action to cool the city in the form of subsidies for green roofs and a green infrastructure program for the Metropolitan Sewer District.
$250,000 Available for Tree Planting and Tree Care Projects (May 18, 2012) – California ReLeaf, a nonprofit organization announced a new grant program that will provide more than $250,000 for urban forestry projects in the state.
Green Roofs in Big Cities Bring Relief From Above (May 23, 2012) – Green Roofs cool buildings, reduce energy costs, clean the air, reduce storm water runoff, and help biodiversity. New York City is promoting green roofs, but 30 to 50 percent coverage is needed to make a difference in the city’s climate or hydrology.
Heat-Related U.S. Deaths Projected to Rise 150,000 by Century's End Due to Climate Change (May 23, 2012) – A new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council finds that climate change could cause 150,000 additional heat-related deaths in the United States by the end of this century.
Instead of Lamenting the Urban Heat Island Effect, Why Don’t We Harness It? (May 24, 2012) – Researchers have been developing a model that would harness the heat contained in asphalt and put it to productive use, such as heating water coursing through a series of pipes embedded in the road. The hot water could be used to generate electricity.
Take Siestas to Cope with Heat in UK says Lancet (May 30, 2012) – A new report on Healthy Cities worldwide suggests that workers should be allowed to take siestas during office hours and wears shorts to work, while office roofs should be painted white to combat the urban heat island effect.

April 2012

Brooklyn Grange in Enormous Urban Garden (April 2, 2012) - A roof in Brooklyn is being transformed into a vast urban garden. The green roof will reduce rooftop temperatures, reduce rainwater runoff, and utilize solar panels while producing fruits and vegetables.
Green rooftops Help Clean Up Beijing's Air (April 2, 2012) - The Beijing municipal government has made plans to improve the quality of the city's air by covering 100,000 square meters of roofs with greenery by the end of this year.
Escape the Urban Heat Island-Nominated for a $10,000 Grant from Odwalla’s Plant a Tree Program (April 3, 2012) - Odwalla is donating $10,000 to worthy organizations through its 2012 Plant a Tree program, and Environment Action Association’s Escape the Urban Heat Island is in the running for one of the grants.
Urban Heat Amplifies Death Risk for Elderly (April 13, 2012) A study finds that older people living in urban areas that do not cool down sufficiently at night are twice as likely to die during heat waves than those living in the suburbs.
New Ordinances Mean You Can’t Pave over the Yard for More Parking (April 13, 2012) - Two new zoning ordinances in Somerville, Massachusetts encourage green roofs and limit impervious surfaces. The new policies strive to reduce the heat island effect by reducing paving.
Painting Roofs White is as Green as Taking Cars Off the Roads for 50 Years, Says Study (April 13, 2012) Scientists estimate that using light-colored surfaces on roofs and pavements in cities town could, on a global scale, increase their albedo by about 10 percent. This would offset between 130 billion and 150 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to taking every car in the world off the road for 50 years.
Md. Scientists Study Why Spring Came Early (April 17, 2012) - Researchers at the University of Maryland Center found that the urban landscape traps heat in the summer and holds it throughout the winter, triggering leaves to turn green earlier in the spring and to stay green later into the fall.
On an Urban Heat Island, Zippy Red Oaks (April 25, 2012) – Researchers found that red oak seedlings in Central Park grow up to eight times faster than their cousins cultivated outside the city, probably because of the urban heat island effect.

March 2012

Bright Is The New Black: New York Roofs Go Cool (March 7, 2012) A new study of how different white roofing materials performed "in the field" in New York City over multiple years found that even the least expensive white roof coating reduced peak rooftop temperatures in summer by an average of 43°F.
The Humble Parking Lot Gets a Green Makeover (March 15, 2012) A new parking lot in Beamsville, Ontario in Canada has a rain garden that will improve stormwater management and help reduce the heat island effect created by large expanses of asphalt.
ESF’s New Building Highlighted at Conference (March 16, 2012) The College of Environmental Science and Forestry at the State University of New York, Syracuse, is constructing a new building with multiple sustainable features, including an on-campus combined heat and power system and a 10,000 square foot green roof based on rare native plant community.
Rooftop Blooms Help Pollinators (March 21, 2012) A study analyzing green roofs in the UK and Switzerland found that mixed planting attracts more wildlife than a standard green roof planted with sedum.
Cities on Front Line of Climate Change (March 27, 2012) The world's cities bear the brunt of climate change, but some are taking action to both increase resilience to climate impacts and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, such as painting roofs white and planting trees to alleviate the urban heat island effect and lower energy consumption.
Soon More Heat Stress in Cities? (March 28, 2012) - A global study of the effects persistent heatwaves can have on cities shows that the frequency of summer heat stress could increase more sharply in cities than in the surrounding rural areas.
QR Code Allows Smartphone Users to Adopt a Tree in D.C. (March 28, 2012) - The District Department of Transportation’s Urban Forestry Administration is piloting a project that allows residents of Washington DC to use their smartphones to scan QR codes in order to adopt a tree. Anyone who is willing to water the trees on a weekly basis from spring through the fall season will be provided with a free 10 gallon watering tub for every adopted tree.

February 2012

Envision Solar: Solar Tree Array (February 3, 2012) The Solar Tree Array shades six parking spots while producing enough solar energy to fully charge six electric vehicles per day.
Oil Sands Produces Its Own Heat Island Effect (February 8, 2012) A study by researchers at University of Alberta finds that Canada's oil sands project has created an urban heat island effect, drying out a city-sized area and raising the local temperature by more than a degree.
Phoenix Is an Island (February 9, 2012) Concrete, asphalt, rooftops, and three-hundred-some-odd days of sunlight a year means lots of excess heat for Phoenix city dwellers both day and night.
U.S. Cities Are Losing 4 Million Trees a Year (February 9, 2012) A study published in the latest issue of the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening finds that tree cover had declined in 17 of the 20 analyzed cities.
PPG to Highlight Cool Roof Coatings at 2012 International Roofing Expo (February 9, 2012) PPG Industries new coatings for metal roofs and building panels deflect solar energy away from buildings, which enables buildings to stay cooler and consume less energy.
Newly Released American National Standard to Improve Energy Efficiency and Lead the way to a More Sustainable Energy Future (February 10, 2012) The newly revised Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings includes provisions to help mitigate heat island effect.
EPA and Hackensack University Medical Center Team Up to Increase Green Practices (February 23, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Hackensack University Medical Center have entered into an agreement to enhance environmental practices at the hospital, including completing a 7,000 square-foot green roof that will reduce stormwater runoff.
DeepRoot: A New Solution For Saving Cities Money By Planting Trees (February 27, 2012) A firm called DeepRoot has designed an underground structure to allow urban tree roots to grow deeper into the ground, resulting in larger, fuller, and healthier trees.
Spokane’s Tree Canopy Stable (February 29, 2012) The strong urban forestry program in Spokane, Washington is keeping up the tree canopy of the city.

January 2012

FarmRoof Goes Up On Kakaako Car Dealership (January 5, 2012) – An organic rooftop farming system is installed on the roof of a car dealership in Kakaako, Hawaii, and is expected to reduce energy costs of the building by 20 percent.
Tree Pittsburgh Looking to Spread the Word About City’s Urban Forest (January 17, 2012) – Tree Pittsburgh, a non-profit organization, is engaging the public in its urban forestry programs.
White's All Right for a Cool Change to City's Buildings (January 25, 2012) – A joint study by the City of Melbourne and University of Melbourne found that white roofs can make buildings up to 4 degrees Celsius cooler inside. The push for white roofs is part of the city’s 1200 Buildings program, a central piece in its plan to achieve carbon neutral status by 2020.
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Announces Grants for Urban Forestry Projects (January 25, 2012) – The Connecticut DEEP announced that 17 municipalities and non-profit organizations will receive $81,425 in America the Beautiful grants for urban forestry projects in their communities.
Green Roof Product Cools Solar Panels (January 26, 2012) – The company Green Roof Technology has launched a system for integrating solar power into a green roof. The plants cool the roof and enable the solar panels to achieve greater efficiency.
Depave: Returning Parking Lots To Paradise (January 27, 2012) – Depave, a non-profit organization in Oregon, has been working to turn superfluous parking lots and other underused expanses of asphalt into productive green space.

December 2011

Santa Monica City Council Adopts Urban Forest Master Plan (December 28, 2011) The Santa Monica City Council has approved a plan that establishes guidelines for enhancing the city's urban forest.
UBC Researchers Try to Improve the Green Footprints of Green Roofs (December 27, 2011) Researchers at the University of British Columbia are testing the use of construction material waste as a drainage base to reduce environmental footprints of green roofs.
Rochester Awarded $14,750 Grant for Tree Inventory Program (December 27, 2011) Rochester is one of 12 communities across the state to receive a grant for urban forestry from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The grant will be used to complete a community street tree inventory program.
Green Roof Will Be Soothing to New Moms (December 19, 2011) A green roof will be built on top of the new Anderson Medical Center cardiology building at the Boulder Community Hospital Foothills campus in East Boulder, Colorado. The roof will cost more to build than a typical roof, but is projected to save $750,000 per year in cooling costs.
The Problem With Palm Trees (December 19, 2011) A number of cities are recognizing that while palms are aesthetically pleasing, they do not provide the same environmental benefits, walkable streets, or lower ambient temperatures as hardwood shade trees.
Soka Performing Arts Center and Academic Building Achieve LEED Gold Certification (December 15, 2011) The two structures of Soka University, Orange County, CA incorporate many sustainable and energy efficiency solutions, including a green roof and solar panels.
The Green Revolution: Urban Gardens Transform Traditional Cityscapes (December 9, 2011) Urban gardens are no longer simply a sign of wealth; they have become a tool in both the fight against global warming and food shortage.

November 2011

New Green Roof Tops Off Sustainability Effort at St. Joe's (November 28, 2011) – Saint Joseph’s University’s green roof not only increases energy efficiency and reduces stormwater runoff, but also serves research purposes – sections of the roof were installed with different materials and plants to study and compare the performance of roof components over time.
White Roofs Cool Cities More than Trees (November 21, 2011) – A new study by Yale University researchers show that reflective roofing has greater cooling effect than tree cover and other vegetated areas.
Low Impact, Green Solutions Fix Older City Water Infrastructures (November 18, 2011) – Philadelphia is using low impact development and green infrastructure to solve the problem of combined sewer overflows.
Cities Stepping Up to Help Reduce 10 Trillion Gallons Worth of Polluted Water Dumped Into U.S. Waterways Each Year (November 16, 2011) – A new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council provides detailed case studies on how 14 cities are employing green infrastructure, such as green roofs and permeable pavement, to tackle stormwater challenges.
DCR Awards $80,470 in Urban Forestry Challenge Grant (November 10, 2011) – The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has awarded grants to five municipalities and nonprofit groups to support tree and forestry projects at the local level.
Twin Cities to Put Urban Heat Island to the Test (November 7, 2011) – A University of Minnesota project is placing 200 temperature sensors around the Twin Cities to study urban heat.

October 2011

Community Voices: The Urban Forest's Stormwater Factor (October 21, 2011) – Urban trees not only reduce heat island effects, but also improve water quality and aquatic ecosystem health by mitigating the harm caused by urban runoff.
Queens Gets a Bit Cooler with Another Green Roof – Jamaica Wastewater Treatment Plant is Latest Location be Outfitted (October 20, 2011) – The Jamaica Wastewater Treatment Plant’s green roof can soak up to 13,000 gallons of stormwater annually and will reduce the amount of combined sewer overflow that discharges into Jamaica Bay during heavy rain.
FedEx Express Hosts Largest “Green Roof” at Any U.S. Airport (October 20, 2011) – FedEx builds a green roof the size of three football fields on its new package sorting center in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Urban 'Heat Island' Effect Is a Small Part of Global Warming; White Roofs Don't Reduce It (October 20, 2011) – A study by Stanford researchers find that urban heat islands are modest contributors to global warming when compared with greenhouse gases.
The Complex Relationships Between Vegetation, Water Use, and Socioeconomics in Phoenix, AZ (October 15, 2011) – Research finds that lower-income neighborhoods in Phoenix have less vegetation, which reduces heat island effects but requires higher water use, and are more susceptible to extreme heat.
Green Roof Movement Grows Slowly in Austin (October 7, 2011) – More financial incentives for designers, builders, and homeowners are needed to make green roofs more popular in Austin.
Green Roofs Yielding Benefits for Ford (October 6, 2011) – The green roofs on Ford’s factory in Dearborn, Michigan have reduced energy use, improved air quality, lowered the costs of storm water reclamation and treatment, and helped restore the area’s eco-structure.
As World Goes Urban, New Focus on Role of Trees in Cities (October 3, 2011) – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) urged countries to protect their urban and peri-urban forests for their multiple benefits. The FAO is developing guidelines to promote sound policies on trees in major metropolitan areas, due to be published in 2012.

September 2011

Predicting Urban Heat Island Effects from Space (September 29, 2011) – A new study by the European Space Agency suggests that satellite sensors can be used to detect urban heat island effects before they actually form.
Cool Roof Legislation Adds Jobs, Saves Energy (September 26, 2011) – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland and Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho are co-sponsoring the Energy-Efficient Cool Roof Jobs Act, which could mean thousands of new jobs and energy savings nationwide.
Can Your Green Roof Survive a Hurricane (September 26, 2011) – The experience of New York City electric utility Con Edison suggests that a well planned green roof is no more vulnerable to high winds and heavy rains than any other.
Repeated Droughts Taking Toll on Midstate (September 18, 2011) – Repeated droughts in Macon, Georgia, are making older trees in the city more susceptible to diseases and insects. As these large trees drop out of the landscape, the heat island effect worsens.
Public Housing in Bellingham, WA Gets Green Roof, Solar Panels (September 21, 2011) – A high-rise public housing building gets a green roof as part of a project to make the building more water- and energy-efficient.
Central Park Dentistry in Mason City, Iowa Gets Green Roof (September 20, 2011) – The green roof system offers 30 percent better cooling efficiency than a traditional roof and 10 percent more insulation, and will make the roof last three to four times longer.

August 2011

Green Roof Finished at Mazzoli Federal Building, Kentucky (August 26, 2011) – The largest green roof in the state of Kentucky, totaling almost 27,000 square feet, was completed as part of a project to improve sustainability of the building.
A Bronx High School Tests Integrated Green Roof Technologies (August 23, 2011) – Researchers from Columbia University partner with high school students to explore how solar panels and green roofs work together to regulate temperatures and improve efficiency.
Volunteers Paint the Town White (August 22, 2011) – Volunteers in New York City painted 35,000 square feet of affordable low-income rooftops with reflective white paint, which will help to cool the buildings and generate significant energy savings.
Using Mist to Cool Down Urban Heat Island (August 17, 2011) – Osaka City Waterworks Bureau is experimenting a new cooling method – using mist shot out from nozzles installed on top of buildings along the street.

July 2011

Cool Roofs and Solar Panels - a Natural Marriage of Sustainable Technologies (July 25, 2011) – One company reports that the output of its solar power system when combined with a cool roof increases 20 percent due to the improved collection of reflected and diffuse light.
Green Roof, IT Help Cut Postal Service Energy Costs by $400m (July 21, 2011) – After installing one of the largest green roofs in the country, the U.S. Postal Service has reduced its energy costs by more than $400 million since 2007.
Berkeley Lab’s Iconic Dome Gets a New Roof—a Cool One (July 12, 2011) – A cool roof is being installed on the Advanced Light Source building, which is part of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
White Roof Project: Cools NYC One Roof at a Time (July 5, 2011) – The White Roof Project initiative in New York City is helping to address the urban heat island effect by painting roofs white.

June 2011

EPA Tips to Be Cool and Safe this Summer / Limit the heat and the sun, but not the fun (June 30, 2011) - Heat islands can intensify heat waves, which can pose risks to people’s health. You can follow several tips to avoid heat exhaustion and overexposure to the sun.
Plan for small streets, big changes (June 20, 2011) – Several Minnesota cities are experimenting with new street design techniques, including planting trees and narrowing paved areas.
A tiny step forward for green roofs in Philadelphia (June 15, 2011) – The City of Philadelphia’s newest green roof has been built on top of a bus stop shelter to help address stormwater issues.
Cities try to adapt to heat waves (June 13, 2011) – Canadian governments are looking for ways to beat the heat as they become increasingly aware of the dangers climate change poses not just to the environment but to public health as well.
Paved Surfaces Can Foster Build-Up of Polluted Air (June 7, 2011) – New research focusing on the Houston area suggests that widespread urban development alters wind patterns in a way that can make it easier for pollutants to build up during warm summer weather instead of being blown out to sea.
Funding available for urban forestry projects (June 7, 2011) – California ReLeaf announced that funding is available to community-based groups throughout California for urban forestry projects.
‘Canopy keepers’ try to make a greener D.C. (June 5, 2011) – Thirty-five percent of Washington, D.C., has tree cover, and the city hopes to increase that to 40 percent by 2035. The street trees in Washington make up about 10 percent of the whole urban tree canopy.
Downtown Phoenix parking lot paved in reflective coating (June 5, 2011) – This new city-owned parking lot features a reflective coating that can help reduce temperatures on concrete and asphalt surfaces.
Congresswoman Matsui Introduces Energy Conservation Through Trees Act (June 3, 2011) – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced H.R. 2095, the Energy Conservation Through Trees Act, legislation that would support programs run by electric utilities that use targeted planting of shade trees in order to reduce residential energy demand.

May 2011

A City Prepares for a Warm Long-Term Forecast (May 22, 2011) – Chicago is getting ready for a wetter, warmer future by implementing adaptation measures such as repaving public alleyways with materials that are permeable to water.
Green roof is crowning glory: study (May 18, 2011) – A study conducted by the Montreal Urban Ecology Centre found that a green roof provided reduced costs for air conditioning and heating for a residential building.
ASHRAE insert addendums to Green Building Standard (May 15, 2011) – Requirements to reduce heat and subsequent energy use on building sites are part of five new addendums being proposed for the green building standard developed by ASHRAE, IES and USGBC.
Chicago Trees Initiative Aims to Plant and Protect (May 9, 2011) – The Chicago Trees Initiative hopes to achieve an average tree cover of 20% by the year 2020 for Chicago.
Green Roofs Have Positive Effect on Sewer Systems (May 9, 2011) – A Columbia University and Con Edison study found that green roofs can be a cost-effective way to keep water from running into sewer systems and causing overflows.

April 2011

Spruce up, shade your house on the cheap (April 17, 2011) – Trees for Tucson delivers around 5,000 trees a year to help the community address the urban heat island effect.
DOE’s Oak Ridge and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs Join with Dow Chemical to Develop Next-Generation Cool Roofs (April 14, 2011) – This agreement will support research to increase the energy savings from existing cool roof technologies by more than 50 percent, decreasing the nation’s carbon footprint and providing an opportunity for Americans to save money by saving energy.
U.S. Forest Service Funds Tree Inventory For Urban Planners (April 13, 2011) – New research funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help city planners make better decisions about their urban trees for a range of benefits, including energy savings and improved access to nature.
Area near stadium adds trees (April 13, 2011) – Through a grant provided by the 2010-11 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Forest Health Improvement Initiative Program, the University of Central Florida is planting trees to add to the urban forest canopy.
New London hotel boasts huge living wall (April 8, 2011) – The combination of a green roof and living wall on a London Hotel has benefits like improved thermal qualities, water run-off prevention and enhancing air quality.
Green Roof Industry Grows 28.5 Percent in 2010 (April 1, 2011) – A recent survey conducted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities showed a growth of the green roof industry by 28.5 percent in 2010.

March 2011

Science looks to poplar trees for ‘cool roof’ technology (March 21, 2011) – New research looks at the way poplar trees protect themselves from harsh sunlight in order to explore new ways to help control the heat that is produced when sunlight beats down on a roof.
SIMPLY TREES: Trees for energy conservation (March 19, 2011) – One of the more measurable benefits trees provide is energy conservation. On a community-wide scale, shade trees can help reduce the “heat-island” effect.
Trees help make city a cooler place to live (March 11, 2011) – Trees can reduce air pollution, control erosion, offset the buildup of urban heat and can reduce utility costs.
ACT Applauds Recommendations for Urban Green Space in President's “Outdoors” Report (March 7, 2011) – The America’s Great Outdoors initiative recently released a report which includes key recommendations for urban greening.
Davis branches out with forestry stewardship (March 7, 2011) – Tree Davis is launching a new Urban Forestry Stewardship Program in which volunteers will play a key role in keeping Davis green, clean and cool.
Ecoroofs: industry grows, costs come down (March 3, 2011) – Portland’s ecoroof industry is expanding, and the cost of building ecoroofs is getting lower.

February 2011

A Look (Again) at Airport Greenroofs (February 25, 2011) – Airports, which contribute to urban heat islands with impermeable hot surfaces, have installed green roofs to help address these issues.
Cool roof program to save Luke money (February 18, 2011) – Luke Air Force Base in Arizona will reduce air conditioning costs through a cool roof painting program designed to reduce the heat entering buildings.
Living Architecture Academy goes online from Canada (February 16, 2011) – Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has launched Living Architecture Academy, an online portal to green roof and wall educational content from conferences and events.
Color Search Site Can Help Pick Cool Roofs (February 15, 2011) – An online tool has been launched to help building owners select the roof coating color that best enhances energy efficiency.
New Green Roof Tracks Weather at UCF (February 7, 2011) – A weather station was built as part of a green roof study on the cooling efficiency of green roof plants.
‘Green’ Cities Are Organizing to Protect the Environment (February 1, 2011) – Local governments around the world are working to protect the environment through reducing energy use and pollution in inventive and effective ways.

January 2011

80 volunteers plant trees, hope for shade at BREC park (January 31, 2011) – A tree planting effort involving Baton Rouge Green hopes to provide shade trees for a Baton Rouge park.
Get more bang for your buck: Valuing green infrastructure’s multiple benefits (January 21, 2011) – American Rivers and the Center for Neighborhood Technology released a guidebook that pulls together the existing research on green infrastructure benefits and creates a framework for measuring and valuing them.
Salt Lake City police HQ goes green (January 20, 2011) – Green roofs on the new police headquarters will both mitigate storm drainage and provide better aesthetics, planners say.
‘Green asphalt’ layers cool surface on school lot (January 18, 2011) – A Phoenix school became the testing ground for “green asphalt,” a concrete-based reflective covering designed to make asphalt surfaces cooler and more durable.
5 standout species for extensive green roofs (January 18, 2011) – A new study from researchers at Colorado State University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture published in HortScience evaluated a variety of plant species to determine the plants’ ability to thrive on extensive green roofs in Colorado.
For Chicago, cooling down may mean lightening up (January 13, 2011) – Chicago is signing on as a member of the 100 Cool Cities Initiative, which seeks to offset global carbon emissions by encouraging installation of cool and reflective roofs and pavements in 100 major cities worldwide.
Andrews among AF facilities testing green-roof technologies (January 13, 2011) – The Air Force is emphasizing green-roof technologies and other energy efficiency measures for new military construction and ongoing roof repair and replacement programs.
DOE Starts at the Top in Bid to Cut Emissions, Set Good Example on Efficiency (January 10, 2011) – The new cool roof on the Department of Energy building uses the white coloring of the 60-millimeter-thick PVC material to reflect the sun’s heat and light, which in turn helps improve building efficiency and therefore reduce cooling costs.
City will help building owners get green (January 6, 2011) – The City of Houston will offer commercial building owners up to $200,000 in incentives to improve energy efficiency, putting a special emphasis on retrofitting older and smaller buildings.

December 2010

Study that could help you grow a better green roof garden (December 30, 2010) – Researchers from the Department of Horticulture at The Pennsylvania State University have evaluated the influence of substrate type and depth on establishment of five common green roof plants.
Arizona without saguaros? As climate warms, desert’s future uncertain (December 21, 2010) – Rising temperatures in Phoenix may impact air quality by exacerbating ozone problems and ultraviolet radiation, especially during the summer months.
Grant will promote ‘green’ bus shelters (December 20, 2010) – A $20,000 grant from the Sprout Fund and Pittsburgh Foundation will help to fund a project to equip a new bus shelter with a green roof.
DOE Installs ‘Cool Roof’ on DC Headquarters (December 16, 2010) – The Department of Energy has replaced a roof at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., with a cool roof made from light-colored material that is expected to save taxpayers $2,000 a year energy costs.
Nighttime Makes Urban Heat Waves Deadly (December 14, 2010) – Recent research finds that exposure to high temperatures at night can increase the risk of vulnerable populations in cities, especially the elderly and those with chronic health problems.
Energy Department Completes Cool Roof Installation on DC Headquarters Building to Save Money by Saving Energy (December 14, 2010) – A new cool roof installation on the Department of Energy’s Headquarters required no incremental cost to add the cool roof as part of the roof replacement project and it will save taxpayers $2,000 every year in building energy costs.
Satellites Pinpoint Drivers of Urban Heat Islands in the Northeast (December 13, 2010) – The size, background ecology, and development patterns of many cities in the Northeast combine to make them unusually warm, according to NASA scientists who presented new research recently at an American Geophysical Union meeting.
6 Tips for Selecting an Energy-Saving Cool Roof (December 12, 2010) – While cool roofs may be more expensive than some traditional roofing technologies, benefits include lowered heating bills.
Reinvestment Act Project to plant 700 trees and create jobs in Detroit (December 7, 2010) – Thanks to $200,000 in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more than 700 trees will be planted along major roads and freeways in southeastern Michigan.
Green Teens Start Tree-Planting Initiative in Tulsa (December 5, 2010) – GreenTree Tulsa is helping the Tulsa Housing Authority by planting trees at Housing Authority complexes throughout Tulsa.

November 2010

Painting roads white “significantly” reduces urban temperatures (November 25, 2010) – A thin layer of lighter colored asphalt applied to road surfaces could significantly lower surface temperatures in hot urban areas, according to a recent study.
Friends of Trees plant energy-saving ideas (November 18, 2010) – Friends of Trees plans to plant 16,000 street trees in the next three years as part of the City of Portland’s five-year gray-to-green initiative.
Joliet court building gets ‘cool roof’ (November 17, 2010) – The Will County Court Annex Building has an aluminum covering on its roof that deflects the sun’s rays and helps keep the interior cool.
Honey Bees Find New Home On Baltimore Green Roof (November 14, 2010) – A green roof focused on honey bees is one of the first of its kind in the region, and has helped to foster the bees, which are efficient pollinators.
Urban sprawl contributes to extreme heat events (November 12, 2010) – Cities with high levels of urban sprawl have more than twice as many days with extreme heat when compared to cities with more compact growth patterns, contributing to heat-related health effects such as sickness and death.
ASLA Green Roof Earns Top North American Design Honor (November 11, 2010) – The American Society of Landscape Architects’ green roof, located in downtown Washington, has earned recognition as one of the best in North America.
Planting the future, one tree at a time (November 8, 2010) – Wilmington’s tree canopy grew by 10 percent in 2010, or 1,500 trees, and is expected to rise by that much again in 2011.

October 2010

Raising the (Green) Roof (October 29, 2010) – The City of Austin’s Green Roof Advisory Group is charged with exploring the feasibility of using city policy to promote green roofs around town.
Volunteers to plant 50 trees in local Grand Rapids’ parks thanks to Siemens Sustainable Community Award (October 25, 2010) – The City of Grand Rapids was presented the Siemens Sustainable Community Award by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center and Siemens Corporation.
Tree Leaves Fight Pollution (October 21, 2010) – Research published in Science shows that deciduous tree leaves, such as those from the maple, aspen, and poplar, suck up far more atmospheric pollutants than previously thought.
Massachusetts Firm Testing Viability of Using Parking Pavement for Water Heating, Cooling (October 20, 2010) – A new technology uses the heat energy in the pavement in a parking lot to heat hot water or to provide cooling through absorption chillers.
NYC Mayor Bloomberg Announces Green Roof Initiative (October 1, 2010) – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a campaign to install green roofs, sidewalks and porous parking lots in order to capture excess rainwater and runoff.

September 2010

EPA, DC Showcase Recovery Act Funded Green Roof (September 29, 2010) – A green roof on top of the World Wildlife Fund headquarters was funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Forest Service Releases National Report on Urban Forests (September 29, 2010) – The USDA Forest Service recently released a new report entitled “Sustaining America's Urban Trees and Forests”, which provides an overview of the current status and benefits of America’s urban forests, compares differences in urban forest canopy cover among regions, and presents challenges facing urban forests and their management.
New rule: Builders must save more trees (September 28, 2010) – Charlotte’s City Council approved changes to its tree ordinance that will increase the number of trees that must be saved in commercial development and apartment complexes.
Homeowners use rooftop gardens to raise energy efficiency (September 26, 2010) – Some enthusiasts of eco-friendly living have transformed the roofs of their homes into green oases, creating “vegetative” or “green” roofs.
City of Seattle wants more eco-friendly ‘green roofs’ (September 23, 2010) – Seattle city leaders released a report that inventoried the City’s 62 vegetated roofs, which cover the equivalent of nine football fields.
More than just a pretty roof: Ecoroofs save cash (September 20, 2010 – Rooftop plants can save money, especially for businesses with large commercial buildings, because they can double the life of a roof and reduce energy and maintenance costs.
Sustainability is group’s task (September 10, 2010) – The Burbank Sustainability Task Force is organized into six priority groups - sustainable design, urban heat island effect, transportation, energy, zero waste, strategic communications.
Capturing heat islands in climate models (September 9, 2010) – A team of scientists has incorporated urban areas into a global climate model; this development is important because most models used for predicting future climate change do not account for the urban “heat island” effect.
Emerald Cool Pavement Lowers Surface Heat of Asphalt in Phoenix Schools (September 8, 2010) – Under the “Cool Schools Initiative” Emerald Cool Pavement is changing communities by donating labor and materials in the first “Solar Reflective Cool Pavement” offered for school playgrounds, beginning with the City of Scottsdale.
EPA selects communities for 2010 Greening America’s Capitals projects (September 8, 2010) – The U.S. EPA has selected five state capital cities to receive high-quality green development that includes cleaning up and recycling vacant lands, accessing and improving waterways, providing greater housing and transportation choices, and reducing infrastructure and energy costs.
Green Building: A Real Estate Revolution? (September 7, 2010) – Green building now accounts for nearly one-third of new construction in the U.S.
Green roofs redefine cooling plant (September 1, 2010) – Researchers at Columbia University have demonstrated that a layer of plants and earth can cut the rate of heat absorption through the roof of a building in summer by 84%.

August 2010

It Really Is Cooler in the Shade (August 26, 2010) – A recent temperature measuring activity sponsored by Iowa-based Trees Forever shows how temperatures are reduced by shading.
Green Roofs and Schools (August 23, 2010) – Green roofs are increasingly being featured on many education institutions, from elementary schools to universities.
Chicago Gateway Green Launches Chicago Tree Corps (August 19, 2010) – The Chicago Tree Corps will help achieve the goal of planting 15,000 trees in the city by 2015.
Green building an essential part of Gilbert's future growth (August 17, 2010) – The revision of Gilbert’s General Plan features a focus on green living and sustainability.
Researchers study impacts of Valley’s extreme heat (August 11, 2010) – The urban poor – already a vulnerable population – are the most susceptible to extreme heat.
Scholar Hopes to Cool City By Covering Roofs With Greenery (August 11, 2010) – One Hong Kong professor is studying ways to help cut carbon emissions and lower electricity usage by covering the city’s rooftops with plants.
Tips for Selecting the Right Green Roof Design (August 10, 2010) – When designing a green roof, several issues need to be addressed, including type, weight, maintenance, irrigation, plant choices and cost.
Bronx Students Earn “Living Wages” by Building Green Roofs (August 9, 2010) – A Bronx teacher enables America’s youngest Certified Green Roof Installers on a green roof project.
City pushes free tree program (August 2, 2010) – The City of Austin is promoting a program that plants trees on private property. The addition of trees can potentially cool daytime temperatures in neighborhoods by up to 4 degrees.

July 2010

Summer Sizzlers Here to Stay (July 29, 2010) – A new study released by the City College of New York is showing just how intense future heat waves are likely to be in New York—and in other big cities by implication.
Forest Service Releases National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change (July 23, 2010) – The Roadmap integrates land management, outreach, and sustainable operations accounting.
Cool Roofs, Cool Pavement Reduce Climate Change Effect (July 20, 2010) – A change from black to white may be quickest, least expensive way to start saving money now and reduce CO2 emissions for the future.
Secretary Chu Announces Steps to Implement Cool Roofs at DOE and Across the Federal Government (July 19, 2010) – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a series of initiatives underway at the Department of Energy to more broadly implement cool roof technologies on DOE facilities and buildings across the federal government.
New Haven Plans for 10,000 trees in 5 years (July 12, 2010) – The purpose of the Tree Haven 10K campaign is to improve quality of life for residents by beautifying the city, providing shade, improving air quality and generally reducing the city’s carbon footprint.
Where Does the Water Go? (July 11, 2010) – Cities are investigating new techniques to deal with stormwater runoff, including permeable pavement, which is made from material that allows water to flow through it and into the ground below.
If a tree falls in Takoma Park, will the solar benefits outweigh the canopy loss? (July 7, 2010) – Some older tree protection ordinances fail to make exceptions for more recent green initiatives like solar panels.
Heat Wave Puts Spotlight on Lack of Green Space (July 6, 2010) – Professor says more vegetation would help stop urban areas from becoming overheated during warm seasons.

June 2010

City Council Approves Green Roof Study (June 29, 2010) – The Austin City Council will fund work to further research on vegetated rooftops and how they are affected by Austin’s sporadic rainfall.
If You Can’t Stand the Heat, New Research Suggests Moving Out of the City (June 29, 2010) – New modeling from researchers in the United Kingdom now suggests that urban areas are more sensitive to changes in climate.
Study: Sprawling cities experience hotter summer temperatures (June 24, 2010) – The rate of increase in the number of very hot days in sprawling cities is more than double that of compact cities, a study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal has found.
Urban Areas Getting Hotter Faster (June 22, 2010) – A combination of climate change and urban growth will push temperatures higher in cities worldwide.
Just in Time for Summer, Retrofit Philly “Coolest Block” Contest Winners Get Energy Efficiency Makeover (June 18, 2010) – Cool roof technology and air sealing products are helping Philadelphia row homes stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter - and lower utility bills.
Copenhagen Becomes First Scandinavian City with a Mandatory Green Roof Policy (June 17, 2010) – The new policy requires vegetation and soil to be a mandatory part in architectural planning; in particular, it covers all roofs with a slope less than 30 degrees, plus the refurbishment of older roofs.
The Green Apple: How Can Cities Adapt to Climate Change? (June 16, 2010) – New York City - and other major metropolises around the globe - face an epic challenge in coping with the impacts of global warming.
Philadelphia joins U.S. cities requiring cool roofs (June 3, 2010) – Philadelphia’s “Cool Roof” bill was signed into law last month by Mayor Michael Nutter.

May 2010

City dwellers to face more frequent hot summer nights (May 28, 2010) – Warm summer nights could become warmer in cities due to pressures from urbanization and global warming boosting the “urban heat island” effect, a new study suggests.
Green Roof Industry Grows 16.1 per cent in 2009 Despite Economic Downturn (May 25, 2010) – Despite the severe economic downturn last year, the green roof industry grew by 16.1 percent over the course of 2009.
Onset Weather Stations to Verify Reduced Stormwater Runoff from Stimulus-Funded Green Roof (May 21, 2010) – A government building in Pittsburgh utilizes a green roof to reduce the amount of rainwater that runs off the roof.
Wolf Street Block Wins 'Cool Roof'; Philadelphia Aims to Be Greenest City (May 18, 2010) – Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced that the 1200 Block of Wolf Street has won the RetroFIT PHILLY “Coolest Block” contest.
Mayor Signs Cool Roof Bill, Names ‘Coolest’ Block (May 16, 2010) – Philadelphia Mayor signed a new cool roof bill into law this week.
City Leaders Launch “NYC Cool Roofs Program” (May 11, 2010) – This pilot program calls for painting a million square feet of dark rooftops a reflective white color.
Keeping Things Cool With White Rooftops (May 11, 2010) – New York’s Cool Roof Program is a project aimed at cooling down the city’s buildings by painting the roofs white.
Columbia Study Finds Con Edison's ‘Cool Roofs’ Save Energy, Help the Environment (May 3, 2010) – A study done by Columbia University finds that both green and white roofs help prevent energy losses and provide important environmental benefits.

April 2010

Trees provide big savings for every dollar invested by increasing property values, saving energy (April 29, 2010) – A new publication released by the Pacific Southwest Research Station/USDA Forest Service can help residents along the northern California coast to calculate these benefits.
Green Rooftops a Growing Trend for Businesses (April 12, 2010) – Research shows that replacing the impermeable surface of a standard roof with a green roof provides numerous environmental and economic benefits.
Study Shows Rising Water Temperatures In U.S. Streams And Rivers (April 8, 2010) – Twenty major U.S. streams and rivers have shown statistically significant long-term warming.
US Rivers and Streams Heating Up - Temperatures Rising Annually (April 7, 2010) – A new study by researchers at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science shows that the temperatures of rivers and streams are rising, especially in urban areas.
Study Says U.S. Waterways Are Warming (April 6, 2010) – Many streams and rivers in the United States are getting warmer, with the greatest increases in urbanized areas, according to research to be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Frontiers of the Ecology and the Environment.

March 2010

‘Smart’ Roof Responds to Temperature, Saves Energy (March 22, 2010) – A new roof coating material made from cooking oil reflects the sun’s rays on hot days and absorbs the rays when it’s cold.
City studies green roof regulations (March 17, 2010) – Pittsburgh is considering legislation that would define a green roof and establish zoning height allowances for rooftop gardens.
County seeks Ohio EPA grant for green roof (March 2, 2010) – Lake County Stormwater Management Department has applied to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for a grant to pay for an environmentally-friendly way to resurface a portion of the county’s administration building.

February 2010

United States Breaks Ground for New Embassy Compound in Belgrade, Serbia (February 10, 2010) – The compound will include the use of trees for shading to reduce heat island effect and use of water- and energy- efficient technologies to reduce the compound’s utility load and carbon footprint.
What it means for Valley as ‘heat island’ continues to grow (PDF)(2pp, 573k) (February 6, 2010) – A new report on sustainability from the Arizona Indicators’ Decades series notes that the urban heat island effect is increasing in the Phoenix area.
Kansas City Federal Courthouse Uses Reflective ‘Cool Roof,’ Solar (February 4, 2010) – The Robert J. Dole U.S. Courthouse in Kansas City, Kan., features a “cool roof” reflective membrane designed to keep cooling costs in check.
Over the Top: Data Show “Green” Roofs Could Cool Urban Heat Islands and Boost Water Conservation (February 2, 2010) – Quantifying the urban climate change-mitigating effects of green roofs is an important step in getting green roofing initiatives off the ground.

January 2010

White roofs may successfully cool cities (January 28, 2010) – Painting the roofs of buildings white has the potential to significantly cool off cities and mitigate some impacts of global warming, a new study indicates.
Toronto launches green initiatives designed to build a more sustainable city (January 27, 2010) – On January 31, the City of Toronto will introduce two initiatives designed to “green” Toronto’s new building stock: the Toronto Green Standard and Green Roof Bylaw.

Made in the Shade (January 22, 2010) – The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority is helping communities to get funds from Pennsylvania’s “TreeVitalize Metro” grant program.
LiveRoof, LLC Contributes to ‘Extreme Makeover Home Edition’ (January 20, 2010) – The LiveRoof brand hybrid green roof system was chosen as the planted roof on a “green” episode of the Emmy-award winning hit TV show.
From tar to tendrils (January 15, 2010) – Roofs across Chattanooga continue to receive “green” makeovers with the number of green roofs increasing.
Cool Roofs, Cool Research (January 14, 2010) – In an attempt to address the energy used to cool cities around the world during hot weather, Hashem Akbari is developing light reflective materials for roofs and pavements.
New report outlines energy savings of shade trees (January 11, 2010) – The addition of 100,000 trees over a decade could reduce annual energy demands by about 14,000 megawatt-hours annually in the Phoenix area, according to the report.
Hulsey Center green roof gets results, draws attention (January 11, 2010) – The Alabama Department of Environmental Management is promoting the benefits of green roofs throughout the state.
D.C. heat stagnates Baltimore’s air (January 8, 2010) – Hot air rises off capital’s buildings and pavement, blows north and gets trapped in Baltimore.
Ecosystem, Vegetation Affect Intensity of Urban Heat Island Effect (January 5, 2010) – NASA researchers studying urban landscapes have found that the intensity of the “heat island” created by a city depends on the ecosystem it replaced and on the regional climate.

December 2009

Green Roof Wind & Fire Design Guidelines: After Three Years, Half the Battle is Won (December 22, 2009) – Efforts to get design guidelines for minimizing risks of fire and wind uplift for green roof systems inserted into the International Building Code have progressed somewhat.
Experts discuss Phoenix's heat island effect (December 18, 2009) – BBC Mundo has posted on their Web site a Spanish-language article and video about the urban heat island effect.
Permaloc contributes to 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' (December 16, 2009) – Permaloc’s GeoEdgeTM product was selected as the restraint for a permeable pavement driveway, as well as a green roof, for an episode of the Emmy-award winning hit TV show.
Ecosystem, Vegetation Affect Intensity of Urban Heat Island Effect (December 15, 2009) – NASA researchers studying urban landscapes have found that the intensity of the “heat island” created by a city depends on the ecosystem it replaced and on the regional climate.
Closing the Climate Gap (December 13, 2009) – African Americans and low income communities tend to be located in neighborhoods that are likely to experience heat island effects.
Cooling the Asphalt Jungle (December 11, 2009) – As green roofs proliferate to cool and cheer cityscapes, they also suck up and store some of the carbon urban life pumps out.
What Global Warming? (December 6, 2009) – A look at the arguments the skeptics make—and how believers respond.

November 2009

Farm grows plants for 'green roofs' (November 29, 2009) – A local farm that grows plants for green roofs has seen as much as a 70 percent rise in sales in the past five years, reflecting a growing national interest in green roofs.
City Pursues Eco-Initiatives (November 28, 2009) – The City of Beloit, Wisconsin began its environmentally friendly program when the City Council unanimously approved a resolution in December of 2007 adopting the Eco-Municipality Sustainable Guidelines for the city.
Report: AZ's 61% increase in CO2 is the nation's worst (November 18, 2009) – A new report says that in the Southwest, temperatures have climbed faster than the national average in recent decades, partly due to global warming and partly due to the heat island effect.
The Rooftop Garden Climbs Down a Wall (November 18, 2009) – Some companies are installing edible walls to add to the benefits of vertical gardens by producing food.
Willis Tower looks to go green, from the rooftops on down (November 1, 2009) – The Willis Tower in Chicago utilizes a green roof to lower energy costs and offset water runoff.

October 2009

EPA’s New Green Parking Lot Allows Scientists to Study Permeable Surfaces That May Help the Environment (October 28, 2009) – The U.S. EPA is conducting a study that will test a variety of different permeable pavement materials in a parking lot to investigate ways to reduce pollution that can run off paved surfaces and improve how water filters back into the ground.
The Cool Roof grant program now gets federal tax credit (October 13, 2009) – Chicago’s Cool Roof grant program now also qualifies homeowners to a tax credit thanks to the Federal Stimulus Package.
MIT Team Invents Color-Changing Roof Tiles (October 9, 2009) – A team of MIT students says they’ve made a roof tile that turns white in hot weather and black in cold weather, capturing the best of both colors.
Green Roofs Curb Global Warming, Study Finds (October 5, 2009) – Researchers at Michigan State University found that replacing traditional roofing materials with green roofs in an urban area the size of Detroit, with a population of about one million, would capture more than 55,000 tons of carbon.
Green Roofs: Doing it Bigger, Better (October 3, 2009) – Green roofs have been around at least since the time of the Vikings but are just becoming widespread in the United States.

September 2009

Greenery plan branches out in Denver (September 28, 2009) – Trees have been planted at parks and neighborhoods identified by Denver Parks and Recreation forestry officials as being “gaps in the canopy” and “urban heat islands.”
Garden Help: Trees play vital role in health of a city (September 25, 2009) – City trees quietly provide us with many benefits that are very important in today’s urban environment.
Painting the City White, Literally (September 24, 2009) – New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Vice President Al Gore launched a campaign to paint buildings’ roofs with a white coating to reduce cooling costs and energy usage.
Cool roof is like a nice white shirt on a summer day (September 20, 2009) – Energy Secretary Steven Chu is urging Americans to install white roofs to slash cooling costs and help reduce global warming.
Study: Wealth buys rescue from urban heat island (September 20, 2009) – A new study shows that Phoenix’s sweltering summer inflicts the most misery and illness in poor neighborhoods.
Landscape Architects Create New Sustainability Resource Guides (September 19, 2009) – The American Society of Landscape Architects has announced a new series of comprehensive online resource guides on sustainable design and planning.
South Bronx building gets green treatment with help from Habitat for Humanity (September 17, 2009) – Habitat for Humanity is breaking new ground unveiling its first-ever green roof in the South Bronx.
Recycled glass used to make eco-friendly pavement (September 14, 2009) – A Wisconsin-based company is manufacturing a type of cool pavement from recycled beer bottles and other glass.
Urban or rural: Which is more energy-efficient? (September 1, 2009) – Urban and rural populations use energy differently.

August 2009

European researchers study urban heat islands on bikes, from the air and from space (August 31, 2009) – Research teams studied ‘urban heat islands’ using bicycle-mounted equipment in the Netherlands and ground-based and airborne technologies over Greece.
‘Living’ roofs: Unusual crop protects homes from the elements (August 26, 2009) – Green roof plants have become a new cash crop in this agricultural community.
High-tech roofs (August 14, 2009) – ‘Cool roof’ materials make sense in Las Vegas.
Plantings, not shingles, gaining favor as cover for houses (August 9, 2009) – Although green roofs are most common on businesses, homeowners are starting to take notice.
D.C. is Giving Green to go Green - on Your Roof (August 5, 2009) – The District is giving out more money to homeowners and businesses who install a green roof.
Stop the Clock on Global Warming (August 3, 2009) – The Emerald Cities Project is a green initiative aimed at introducing cool pavement products to mitigate the urban heat island effect of the cities.

July 2009

London ‘needs two million trees’ (July 30, 2009) – An extra two million trees should be planted in London to combat rising temperatures, Mayor Boris Johnson’s environment plan has suggested.
White Roofs Catch on as Energy Cost Cutters (July 30, 2009) – A white roof can cost as little as 15 percent more than its dark counterpart, depending on the materials used, while slashing electricity bills.
USPS Unveils NYC’s Biggest Green Roof (July 27, 2009) – Aimed at saving energy and reducing pollution runoff, the U.S. Postal Service has unveiled its first and New York City’s largest green roof.
Look, Up in the Sky: Green Roofs (July 27, 2009) – Baltimore is emerging as one of the nation’s greener roofed cities, with approximately 150,000 square feet added last year.
Paint the Town White (July 17, 2009) – Replacing dark roofing and pavement with lighter, more reflective materials could reduce temperatures in cities and offset significant quantities of carbon dioxide emissions.
Reflective Roof Paint Repels the Heat (July 15, 2009) – Hyperseal paints can reduce the costs and energy needed for cooling by lowering the amount of heat a building absorbs from the sun.

White Roofs to Fight Global Warming (July 13, 2009) – U.S. energy secretary Chu backs a novel idea: to whitewash roofs and highways.
Green Governing (July 12, 2009) – A new San Diego City Hall could be a beacon for how ecology and economic development can interact.
Using Green Roof Technology to Mitigate D.C. Heat Island Effect (July 11, 2009) – One method to mitigate the heat island effect is to construct green roofs, or a vegetative layer on the roof of a building.
Sprout it from the Rooftops, Green’s on the Scene (July 7, 2009) – The traditional asphalt, slate and tar on rooftops is beginning to give way to green roofs - a trend spurring a proposed “green roof” state tax credit.

June 2009

Chicago’s Sears Tower to Receive “Green” Retrofit (June 30, 2009) – This project will result in unparalleled energy savings and reduced carbon dioxide emissions to the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
Minneapolis Taking the Lead in the Green Revolution (June 27, 2009) – One City Council member says it’s important for government to lead by example when urging others to go green.
Sears Tower Unveils Sustainable Plan to Transform Tallest Building in Western Hemisphere (June 24, 2009) – The project will result in unparalleled energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions to the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, reducing the base building electricity use by up to 80 percent, which includes a combination of energy savings and co-generation.
Rooftop Gardeners Harvest Hefty Tax Breaks (June 23, 2009) – The green roof movement is gaining momentum around the country as more lawmakers are enlightened about the energy-saving benefits of establishing gardens on the roofs of city buildings.
Cool Roofs are Hot (June 18, 2009) – A cool roofing system, called fluid-applied reinforced acrylic, is sprayed on like paint and is considered easy to repair.
Bethany Blues Goes Green with New Roof Garden (June 18, 2009) – This Delaware restaurant is installing a green roof to cut down on energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint, as well as prolong the lifespan of the roof.

May 2009

Energy Chief Steven Chu Joins Phoenix Mayor’s Push for White Roofs (May 27, 2009) – Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu are on the same page when it comes to reducing urban heat islands and energy consumption.
Obama’s Climate Guru: Paint Your Roof White! (May 27, 2009) – Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy, has encouraged making roofs and pavements white or light-colored to help reduce global warming by both conserving energy and reflecting sunlight back into space.
Toronto Adopts “Green Roof” Requirements (May 27, 2009) – Toronto’s city council passed a new bylaw setting minimum “green roof” requirements on all classes of new buildings.
Looking at Europe’s Green Ways (May 24, 2009) – U.S. leaders are looking abroad for guidance in developing green building and energy saving techniques such as green roofs.
Greening Baseball (May 22, 2009) – Various Major League Baseball stadiums are taking steps to reduce energy consumption, extend recycling efforts, and take the first steps into renewable energy.
U.S. Green Roof Industry Grows By 35 Percent in 2008 (PDF) (1p, 33k) (May 20, 2009) – Green Roofs for Healthy Cities conducted a survey of green roofs projects which indicates a U.S. growth rate of more than 35 percent over 2007, representing more than 3.1 million square feet installed in 2008.
Council to Consider New Tree Rules (May 14, 2009) – The Austin City Council is considering proposed rules that would require tree plantings and preservation.
Cities to Sizzle as Islands of Heat (May 10, 2009) – London and other cities could see summer temperatures rise to more than 10°C above those in the surrounding countryside, according to research being used to help devise the first official climate change map of Britain.

April 2009

Innovative Desert Garden Promotes Sustainability (April 22, 2009) – The School of Landscape Architecture at the University of Arizona has created an innovative desert landscape to address the urban heat island effect.
Toronto Mulls Mandatory Green Roofs (April 16, 2009) – The City of Toronto is considering a proposed green roof by-law that would make green roof installations mandatory on certain new developments with a gross floor area exceeding 54,000 square feet.
WPI’s ‘Green’ Residence Hall Garners Prestigious Recognition for its Sustainable Features (April 9, 2009) – Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) newest and most environmentally conscious residence hall, East Hall, features the city of Worcester’s first “green” roof.

March 2009

It’s Not Easy Turning Co-op Boards Green (March 22, 2009) – The politics at residential buildings, which are notoriously contentious, have become even more so as environmental issues have entered the fray.
Researchers: Atlanta’s ‘Heat-Island’ Intensified 2008 Tornado (March 14, 2009) – One year after a tornado tore through Atlanta, researchers at the University of Georgia and Purdue University say the city’s asphalt splendor may have helped create the destructive storm.
Mayor Gordon Wants Phoenix to be Solar Silicon Valley (March 11, 2009) – Mayor Phil Gordon wants Phoenix to have a carbon-neutral footprint – a plan that includes painting rooftops white to reflect the sun and using canals for green enterprises.

February 2009

Architectural Firm Cuts Power Use Almost In Half With Sustainability (February 22, 2009) – Green strategies such as the installation of a green roof have reduced energy usage for an architecture firm.
Chicago Promising Greenest Olympics in 2016 Bid (February 22, 2009) – The City of Chicago has implemented various “green” strategies, such as a green roofs program and renewable energy initiatives, and hopes to host the Olympics in 2016.
Why Some Cities Are Getting Drier as Skyscrapers Rise (February 17, 2009) – Recent research shows that urban growth may be a factor in creating a drier, or different, regional climate.
New City Council Proposal Aims to Grow Green Spaces High Above the City (February 10, 2008) – Building owners who put plants, grass or even white paint on their roof to soak up heat and rainwater could get big tax breaks under a New York City Council proposal.
Congress Mulls Green Roof Tax Credit (February 3, 2009) – Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S.320) legislation which contains financial incentives for commercial and residential green roof installation.

January 2009

Green Roof a Part of Airport Wish List (January 31, 2009) – Port Columbus International Airport in Ohio is seeking funding to support the construction of a green roof.
Road Builders Compete For Slice Of Stimulus (January 30, 2009) – In competing for funding from the economic stimulus package, the concrete industry argues that their material provides benefits such as reduced ambient temperatures.
DEP Grant Funds Largest Green Roof in the State (January 28, 2009) – Florida's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) awarded a $1.4 million Urban BMP Research and Demonstration grant to Escambia County to assist with the construction of a green roof as well and a pervious pavement parking lot.
Far from Tar: Ecoroofs Take Root in Portland (January 20, 2009) – Green roofs are spreading in Portland, Oregon, in part due to local legislation and incentives which encourage the use of vegetation in urban areas.
Rooftop Gardens Start to Grow on Local Residents (January 19, 2009) – Green roof and rooftop garden projects have increased in the Memphis, Tennessee area.
Chandler to Finish First ‘Green’ Building in October (January 16, 2009) – The City of Chandler, Arizona, will open its new fire administration headquarters in October, which incorporates various green building principles, including cool roofs.
Is Your Community Planning for Trees? (January 15, 2009) – The American Planning Association has released a report, “Planning the Urban Forest: Ecology, Economy, and Community Development”, the result of a three year study on the impacts and benefits of urban forests.
Urban Heat Island (January 13, 2009) – A satellite image of the Twin Cities in Minnesota shows the warmer temperatures surrounding the urban areas.
Cities are Key Culprits in Weather Shifts (January 11, 2009) – Phoenix, the host of American Meteorological Society Annual Conference, provides an example of how urban areas influence local weather.
Dallas Launches Unique Tree Planting on Skillman Road Medians (January 8, 2009) – Dallas’ Urban Forest Advisory Committee (UFAC) encourages neighborhoods to adopt street medians to plant trees which shade Dallas roadways to combat the urban heat island effect.

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White Washed: Could a Coat of Paint Fight Global Warming? (September 10, 2008) – Research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California shows that the heat savings from having reflective roofs and pavements could offset huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.
High Temps On Turf Fields Spark Safety Concerns (August 7, 2008) – Recent evidence shows that artificial turf surfaces heat up significantly, raising concerns about health.

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