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Urban areas have more buildings, roads, parking lots and sidewalks than rural areas.  These hard surfaces trap heat, raising temperatures in cities by as much as five degrees Fahrenheit.  Higher temperatures in cities – known as “heat islands” – can increase the amount of energy used for air conditioning, increase air pollution levels and raise [...]

Thermal pollution and thermal shocks are caused by increasing or lowering the temperature of water, which can harm aquatic life.  Many aquatic animals depend on a particular temperature to reproduce and survive, and they can die even if temperatures change even slightly. Warmer water can also decrease dissolved oxygen levels, making it difficult for some [...]

During the 1990′s, although the population in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed grew by only eight percent, the percentage of the land area covered by hard, impervious surfaces like asphalt and concrete grew by a whopping 41 percent! When rainwater runs over these impervious surfaces instead of soaking into the ground, floods and sewer overflows become [...]

The northern shores of the Narragansett Bay are highly developed, and unshaded rooftops, parking lots, and walkways that absorb heat can be up to 12 degrees warmer than fields or forests.  When it rains, water passing over these hot surfaces can warm up significantly – sometimes to more than 90 degrees – before it reaches [...]

Did you know that unshaded rooftops, parking lots, and other paved areas that absorb heat can be up to 12 degrees warmer than fields or forests?  When it rains, water passing over these hot surfaces can warm up significantly – sometimes to more than 90 degrees – before it reaches a local stream or river.  [...]

Did you know that unshaded rooftops, parking lots, and other paved areas that absorb heat can be up to 12 degrees warmer than fields or forests?  When it rains, water passing over these hot surfaces can warm up significantly – sometimes to more than 90 degrees – before it reaches a local stream or lake.  [...]