Air Quality of NY

By: Siré Bah and Stanley Mei

Why is Air Quality Important? O.oWhy is Air Quality Important? O.o

♦ ♦ It is part of your everyday life It is part of your everyday life

♦ ♦ You can’t control or avoid breathing the air around us You can’t control or avoid breathing the air around us (no duh or u die! =P ) (no duh or u die! =P )

♦ ♦ Average Adult breathes 20 cubic meters, or 20,000 liters of air a Average Adult breathes 20 cubic meters, or 20,000 liters of air a day!! (wow!!)day!! (wow!!)

♦ ♦ we are exposed to a greater amount of pollutants coming from we are exposed to a greater amount of pollutants coming from automobile traffic, commercial, industrial and manufacturing automobile traffic, commercial, industrial and manufacturing facilities, as well as other sources. facilities, as well as other sources.

The Air Quality ScaleThe Air Quality Scale

Urban Heat Island (UHI)

• A metropolitan area (ex. NYC) that has a slightly warmer temperature than its surrounding rural area.

• The replacement of vegetation with buildings, roads, and infrastructure contributes to form a heat island.

• The concrete and asphalt surfaces absorb rather than reflect the sun’s heat, causing surface temperatures and overall ambient temperatures to rise.

Dangers of an Urban Heat IslandDangers of an Urban Heat Island • Since UHIs are associated by

increased temperature, they can potentially increase the magnitude and duration of heat waves within the city.

• It increases the amount of energy required for air conditioning and refrigeration in the city during the summer.

• UHIs can produce secondary effects on local meteorology, including the altering of local wind patterns, the development of clouds and fog, the humidity, and the rates of precipitation.

Problems • Increase in temperature creates

an increase in demand for cooling, which increases the use of electricity.

• Increase energy demands means an increase in air pollutants and greenhouse gases from power plants.

• An increase in temperature creates warmer days and nights, which can create heat-related mortalities.

• Hot pavements and rooftops give off heat to storm water, which then drains into sewers and increases water temperatures when released into streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes.

Green roofs

• The use green roofs, or rooftop gardens removes heat.

• Decrease in heat means decrease in demand for cooling which decreases amount of energy use.

• Lower heat stress and improves indoor comfort.

• Can last longer than regular roofs.

Other solutions

• Cool pavements, which reflects solar energy and enhance evaporation.

• Cool roofs, which does the same as cool pavements

Promote CyclingPromote Cycling

• A transportation alternative is the use of bicycles among New Yorkers since it is emission free, low costing and a healthy lifestyle practice.

• As intended by PLANYC 2030PLANYC 2030, the city wants to lay out 1,800 miles of bike lanes throughout the city by 2030.

• 504 miles will be separate bike paths or Class 1 facilities. While 1,296 miles will be striped bicycle lanes on the roads of NYC.

Cleaner Air for the BetterCleaner Air for the Better

• More fuel efficient buses, and taxis

• Reduce emissions from black cars, for-hire vehicles, taxis, and ferries.

• Work with Port Authority to reduce emissions from port marine vehicles, facilities and airports.

• Promote the use of cleaner burning heating fuel.

• Reforest targeted area of our parkland

• One Million Trees by 2017