Climate Change and Green Roofs

Question 1

What is Climate Change?

Answer 1

A change in the typical or average weather of a region or city.
It includes a change in a region’s average annual rainfall or a city’s average temperature for a given month

Question 2

What is Climate Change in respect to the Earth’s overall climate?

Answer 2

• A change in Earth’s average temperature

- A change in Earth’s typical precipitation patterns

Question 3

What temperature has the Earth’s climate warmed up by in the last 100 years?

Answer 3

By a little more than 1 deg F (0.6 C)

Question 4

What are natural causes of Climate Change?

Answer 4

• Changes in Earth’s orbit
• The amount of energy coming from the Sun
• Meteorite impact
• Volcanic eruptions

Question 5

What are human causes of Climate Change?

Answer 5

• Most cause due to burning of coal, oil and gas which causes heat trapping gasses including CO2 and Methane
• Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

Question 6

What are Simple Extremes?

Answer 6

• higher max temperatures
• higher min temperatures
• more intense precipitation events

Question 7

What are Complex Extremes?

Answer 7

• Increased summer drying in mid-latitudes (drought)
• Increase in cyclone/hurricane peak wind intensity
• Increase in droughts and floods associated with El Nino events

Question 8

What rank does Vancouver place of coastal cities at risk of suffering serious damage from rising ocean levels?

Answer 8

10 in the world

Question 9

What are the main components of air by volume?

Answer 9

N2 and O2 (Nitrogen and Oxygen)

Question 10

What are the 4 layers of the atmosphere?

Answer 10

• Troposphere
• Stratosphere
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere

Question 11

What is the Greenhouse Effect and how does it relate to Climate Change?

Answer 11

Natural Warming:
Greenhouse Effect is a natural warming process where CO2 and other gases in the atmosphere create a warming effect similar to a greenhouse

Amplified Warming:
Increasing the amount of GHGs intensifies the Greenhouse Effect

Question 12

What are gases that absorb wavelengths longer than 4 micrometers?

Answer 12

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

Question 13

What percentage of the Earth’s surface and water are the oceans?

Answer 13

70% and 97%, respectively

Question 14

What effect does Climate Change have on the Oceans?

Answer 14

Since 50 times for carbon is stored in the oceans as opposed to the atmosphere, the following 3 effects can be observed:

• acidification
• rising seal levels
• changes in the oceans’ circulation

Question 15

What are the causes for rising Sea Levels?

Answer 15

• as water warms, it expands and its density decreases and volume increases
• melting glaciers and ice caps
• current 3mm/yr rise in sea levels

Question 16

What are Green Roofs?

Answer 16

Engineered roofing systems incoporating the use of vegetation that make environmental, economic, and social contributions to urban areas

Question 17

What are the three types of Green Roofs?

Answer 17

• Extensive
• Intensive
• Semi-Intensive

Question 18

What are Extensive Green Roofs?

Answer 18

• 3 to 6 inches of light weigh growing medium
• low maintenance ground cover plants
• ideal for large flat roof buildings
• after one year, they do not require watering

Question 19

What are Intensive Green Roofs?

Answer 19

• 8 to 12 inches of growing medium
• fully lanscaped, diverse roof top garden
• require maintenance
• walkways, lighting, parks all possible

Question 20

What are Semi-Intensive Green Roofs?

Answer 20

A combination of both extensive and intensive green roofs.

They are typically adopted to have diversity within budget.

Question 21

What are the benefits of Green Roofs?

Answer 21

• Reduced Storm Water Runoff
• Energy Efficiency
• Improved Air Quality
• Serve as Habitat
• Last longer than normal roofs