SUBSCRIBE TO MADDEN SCIENCE Heat Islands : Dr. Brian Stone : Urban Heat Lab : Georgia Tech What Lurks Below: Alligator Underwater Hooded Merganser + Radiating Wave Reflections Discover the Hidden World of Ants: Gliding, Parasites, and Canopy Ecology with Dr. Steve Yanoviak PHENOMENA: Water : The Molecule of Life Tennis Power and Poetry: Tomas Machac: US Open Super Slow Motion Coral Restoration & Deep Sea Coral: Allie Blanchette + Laura Anthony: FSU Biology: Guest Speakers PHENOMENA: Social Animal Behaviors Chorus Frogs & Disease Modeling: Carlie Anderson & Miles Robertson: FSU Biology: Guest Speakers Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play Play
![PocketLab Notebook Heat Island Lessons and Curriculum: Link Coming Soon!
Explore the critical issue of urban heat islands with Dr. Brian Stone, professor at Georgia Tech’s School of City and Regional Planning, and the director of Georgia Tech’s Urban Climate Lab, where he works with cities across the country to map, measure, and mitigate extreme urban heat.
Dr. Stone has been recognized with numerous awards, he has authored two books, including most recently Radical Adaptation. https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Adaptation-Transforming-Climate-Changed/dp/100921117X His work on urbanization and climate change has been featured on CNN, NPR, NYTimes, and the Washington Post.
In this insightful interview, Dr. Stone shares his expertise on how urban areas experience elevated temperatures due to factors such as loss of vegetation, impervious surfaces, waste heat emissions, and urban design. He discusses the historical context of this phenomenon, innovative solutions for mitigation, and the importance of teaching this topic in schools.
Learn how cities like Atlanta are addressing urban heat through advanced technologies like LiDAR, climate vulnerability mapping, and urban climate models. Dr. Stone explains how actionable strategies such as increasing tree canopy, using reflective materials, and reducing fossil fuel consumption can significantly improve public health and reduce heat-related illnesses.
This video is designed to accompany students and educators during a Heat Island Unit from PocketLab https://www.thepocketlab.com/ (links coming soon). It will also be helpful for anyone interested in environmental science, climate change, and urban planning.
Urban Heat Lab: https://urbanclimate.gatech.edu/
Climate Vulnerability Maps: https://urbanclimate.gatech.edu/urban-heat-risk-and-health/
INCLUDE LINKS [coming soon]:
1. Discussion Questions and Answers (google drive link or maddenscience)
2. Mitigation Strategies
3. Notebook Lesson
4. Biomimicry page
TIMESTAMPS and TOPICS:
Dr. Brian Stone’s Background and Influences
1:24 – Dr. Stone shares his academic journey and motivation for studying urban heat islands.
2:03 – Air pollution in Atlanta in the 1990s sparked his interest in environmental planning.
Urban Heat Islands: Definition and Historical Context
3:19 – Definition and history of urban heat islands, including references to ancient Rome and 19th-century England.
4:12 – Explanation of the four main drivers: loss of vegetation, impervious materials, urban morphology, and waste heat emissions.
Statistics and Key Contributions
7:25 – Discussion of waste heat contributing 20-30% to the urban heat island effect in some cities.
8:04 – Explanation of variability in heat drivers across cities.
Measurement and Analysis Techniques
8:18 – Overview of how city density and heat are measured, including population density and LiDAR technology.
10:10 – Description of the Urban Climate Lab’s work on heat risk assessments and computer models.
Strategies for Mitigating Urban Heat
12:21 – Scenarios modeled to estimate the impact of adding trees or reflective rooftops.
15:37 – Importance of tree canopy as a hydrologically active surface for cooling.
17:48 – Discussion of reflective materials and reducing waste heat, such as through electric vehicles.
Innovative and Historical Solutions
22:03 – Examples of creative solutions like urban shepherds, rooftop vegetation, earth tubes, and wind catchers.
GIS and Digital Mapping
23:36 – Creation and use of climate vulnerability maps for cities, empowering residents and planners.
Health and Safety Implications
26:12 – Importance of teaching heat islands and climate change to students.
28:14 – Heat-related deaths outnumber those caused by hurricanes and tornadoes combined, highlighting the significance of heat as an invisible threat.
Conclusion
29:17 – Encouragement for students to take action in their communities and lives to combat urban heat.](https://maddenscience.com/wp-content/plugins/feeds-for-youtube/img/placeholder.png)
