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Green Building (January 23, 2004, Two)

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Program Summary

Manhattan is an island. So are Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Detroit, and thousands of other major cities in the United States and around the world. They are heat islands, a phenomenon in which a city’s core, with its miles of pavement and minimal green space, is up to 10 degrees warmer than its surrounding suburbs. This factor, combined with an expected rise in temperature due to global warming, will make for some pretty nasty summers 50 years from now. According to scientific models, higher temperatures, even the projected increase of 3 to 7 degrees Fahrenheitcould cause more heat-related deaths, and heavier air pollution would increase the incidence of respiratory ailments.

Global warming poses another threat to New York and other cities that lay at or near sea level—flooding. A rising ocean and increased storm intensity could lead to the swamping of below-ground underpinnings of the city, including subways and sewers. Venice, Italy, could come close to disappearing.

Green building, a movement stressing environmentally-conscious construction, has been around for a while on a small scale. Homeowners have been incorporating solar power, recycled materials, and xeriscaping (desert-like gardening) for decades. Now, green building is moving into the big-time with the construction of a high-rise residential tower in New York that incorporates all sorts of water- and energy-saving techniques. Two skyscrapers are on the drawing board that will use novel materials and features, such as waterless urinals, to optimize water and energy usage and reduce waste.

Guests

Rick Cook, partner at Cook and Fox Architects in New York City

Cynthia Rosenzweig, adjunct senior research scientist in the Center for Climate Systems Research at Columbia University; research scientist at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City

Patrick Kinney, associate professor of clinical public health in the department of environmental health sciences, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City

Joyce Rosenthal, adjunct assistant professor of urban planning in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University; senior staff associate in the department of environmental health sciences, Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City

Related Links and Resources

Metropolitan East Coast Assessment
SustainableBusiness.com: “Another Green Skyscraper Rises in NYC”
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Northeast Regional Laboratory Green Building Design
U.S. Global Change Research Project: Climate Change Impacts on the USA Region: Metro East Coast
U.S. Green Building Council

Kids’ Connection Archive Search: Global Warming
October 18, 2002, Hour 1: Kilimanjaro Ice Cores
January 10, 2003, Hour Two: Effects of Global Warming on Plants and Animals Worldwide
January 31, 2003, Hour One: J. Craig Venter, part one
June 27, 2003, Hour Two: Urban Ecology
December 5, 2003, Hour One: It’s Getting Hot in Here! A Discussion of Global Warming
January 9, 2004, Hour One: Climate Change and Biodiversity

For Discussion:

• How is global warming threatening sea level cities such as New York? How can it endanger our health?
• Why are cities more vulnerable than rural areas to climate changes?
• What kinds of changes might occur if the levels of the oceans rise by a few inches?
• What might a typical day in New York be like in 2050?
• What is a heat island? Why do heat islands occur?
• What is “green building”?
• What is a green roof? How can green roofs benefit cities?
• What are some of the green features of the Solaire residence tower? Could you use any of them in your own house?
• What kinds of things can we do on a local level to protect ourselves?

Activities

Hot as heck. Visit the EPA Web site for a detailed explanation of the Heat Island Effect, complete with videos to illustrate it. Solutions to alleviate the heat island are included. Students can conduct their own experiment by comparing warm weather temperatures in the downtown and suburban areas of their cities.

A breath of fresh air. Green roofs are the solution for improving air quality and reducing temperatures in dense cities such as New York that have no room to create parks. Green roofs can also save money as well as energy; find out how at Green Roofs Hailed as Money Savers (DesMoinesRegister.com). Greenroofs 101 is perhaps too technical for students, but it’s an excellent place for teachers to acquaint themselves with the concept of green roofs. The photos of projects around the world are a good resource for students. Follow the links at the top and bottom of the page to view the different categories. The site also gives instructions on how to build a green roof, though it isn’t easy.

Waterless WHAT?The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association provides information on green building for homeowners and schools and a page of resources for schools.

Green Acres is the place for me. Visit the Solaire, the high-rise apartment building in Manhattan mentioned by Ira’s guests.

Green’s a scream! Green gets really wild at Home and Garden Television Network’s Extreme Homes, which showcases inventive abodes from around the world. Many of them use recycled materials and energy saving architectural features. Visit the Underground House and the Recycled Tire House for starters, then just wander around and have fun. Students can work in teams to design their own green house.

Grow your own green. Balance—Beyond Survival Learning from the Past to Plan for the Future, a Thinkquest project, is an interactive site that teaches students about urban planning, then gives them the chance to plan their own city. Power House, a lesson plan from the New York Times Learning Network, examines why renewable energy has been slow to catch on in commercial construction. Students research and design their own sustainable structures.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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