May 12th

By Mutt Mulligan

Tokyo and the Heat Island Effect

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times recounted how serious Tokyo is getting about reversing serious threats to their quality of life.  One area that they are trying to reverse is the detrimental effects of laying too much concrete and asphalt. 

According to the LA Times story from April 23, 2010 (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/23/business/la-fi-green-tokyo-20100423), neighborhoods are pushing for landscaping to comply with Tokyo regulations enacted in 2001 requiring all new, large commercial buildings to devote at least 20% of their surface area to greenery – an effort to reverse the loss of trees, lawns and gardens to rampant development and combat the heat-island effect.  Heat-trapping concrete and asphalt have raised Tokyo’s temperature by about 3 degrees Celsius over the last century, according to the government.

TurfMutt’s curriculum talks about the dangers of the heat island effect and how greenscapes are vital to combat this outcome.  Check out the TurfMutt Student Guide that talks about the Heat Island Effect – and print off a copy to share with your students, children or friends.