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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1998
> August
> August 7, 1998:
Hour One: Local Climate Change / Green Business
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Large, dense clusters of buildings and roadways
can create a bubble of warm air over and around
cities called the "heat island" effect. The effect
has been known for a long time - it's why suburbs
around cities generally get more snow in the winter
than cities just next door, and why it feels so
good to get out of the city center in the summer.
But now scientists are beginning to study whether
or not taking steps as simple as planting trees
along roadways, or increasing green spaces in
cities, might be enough to significantly change the
temperatures under the heat island bubble.
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Infrared imaging of
Salt Lake City's eastern edge.
Reds and whites represent warmer temperatures,
while blues and greens are cooler. The large
white
spot is approximately 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
(NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center)
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Climatologists at Arizona State University have been
researching another possible human climate effect - the
effect of pollution on rain. They note that along the
Atlantic coast, it's more likely to rain during the weekend
than during the week. Even powerful storms feel the effects
of the week. Beginning-of-week hurricanes tend to be weaker
than end-of-week hurricanes.
While they can't prove a link between pollution and rain,
the team observes that air pollution levels also fluctuate
in a weekly cycle -- people drive differently over the
weekends, and industry plants sometimes shift productions
schedules. And besides, say the researchers, "the week" is a
purely human invention. Natural events have no business
following weekly patterns -- unless they're being influenced
by humans.
A study by researchers at Colorado State University says
that human activities like agriculture and landscaping along
Colorado's northern Front Range could be changing
temperatures in the surrounding region, including Rocky
Mountain National Park, making the mountainous areas cooler
and wetter than they would be otherwise.
On this segment of Science Friday - controlling the
weather -- unintentionally.
Then.... Your company is trying to decide just how important environmental
concerns should be to its business strategy. Of course, the company
has been doing just fine with operations as they are, and changing the
processes will cost money. But what if making your company's practices
green could actually help your company earn money?
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Big business and the environment are often portrayed as being
at opposite poles - logging companies against the spotted owl,
or tuna fishermen against the dolphins. But some companies are
learning that becoming more environmentally friendly isn't necessarily
a cash-losing proposition. It might conserve costly materials
or energy. Consumers might see environmental friendliness as a
selling point. It might even reduce the risk of being sued or
fined by the government - and reducing risks often makes companies
more attractive to investors. Strong environmental policies might
also be seen by investors as a sign of effective leadership at
the helm, not a bad thing.
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On this segment of Science Friday- can green practices make green?
Guests:
Roger Pielke, Sr.
Professor of
Atmospheric Sciences
Colorado State
University
Fort Collins, Colorado
Randall Cerveny
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona
Lisa Leff
Portfolio Manager
Director of Social Investment
Salomon Smith Barney
New York, NY
Ray Anderson
Chairman and CEO
Interface
Atlanta, GA
Books/Articles Discussed:
"Weekly cycles of air pollutants, precipitation and tropical cyclones
in the coastal NW Atlantic region." by R. S. Cerveney and R.C. Balling
Jr. Nature
, August 6,1998.
"The
Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability", by Paul Hawken.
Harperbusiness, 1994 (reprint).
Related Links:
Weekly cycles
in Pollution, rain and hurricanes
NASA
Heat Island Research
Mitigation of Heat Islands
EPA
Global Warming site
CREST - Center for Renewable Energy
and Sustainable Technology
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
American Institute of
Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment
Green Seal
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