Catch GCCA Executive Director Kurt Shickman on KCRW
Posted by karen-smith-murphy on September 30, 2014
Madeleine Brand, a reporter for NPR station KCRW in Santa Monica, California, noted that extreme heat is now the most deadly of weather-driven disasters. She invited GCCA’s Executive Director, Kurt Shickman on her show to talk about the urban heat island effect, and Kurt explained how cool roofs can help cities cool down, conserve energy Read More…
LBNL Develops New Interactive Rooftop Reflectance Map
Posted by karen-smith-murphy on September 23, 2014
Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have created an interactive map that displays the solar reflectance (or albedo) of individual roofs in five major California cities – Bakersfield, Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. This is the first time scientists have attempted to map the reflectivity of entire cities. A Read More…
Cool Roofs and Energy Efficiency in China
Posted by karen-smith-murphy on September 8, 2014
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has conducted the first comprehensive study of cool roofs in China and concluded that they would be an effective way to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers ran simulations on residential and commercial buildings in seven cities in five climate zones, and found that light colored roofs Read More…
New Cool Roofs Project Takes Off in Seoul, South Korea
Posted by karen-smith-murphy on
Seoul, South Korea launches a new cool roofs initiative with a campaign to help people paint their roofs white, and plans to expand the program next year: The Seoul city government will soon come up with plans to expand the initiative in stages. For example, it will begin with pilot projects in a select number Read More…
Study Links Climate Change to Hotter Urban Heat Islands
Posted by karen-smith-murphy on September 3, 2014
Cities are hot and getting hotter, thanks to global warming and the urban heat island effect. With urbanization on the rise globally, extreme heat threatens human health, strains energy grids, and impacts global economies around the world. Extreme heat is now ranked as the number one weather-related killer in the United States. With over eighty Read More…