Part 3 of the reading goes over the statistics of how urban cities affect the globe as a whole. The author starts by stating that cities are responsible for 40% of greenhouse gasses that are trap in our atmosphere. This is an astonishing number. In parts of queens and other parts of New York I’ve seen smoke stacks and other gas releasing plants that give off huge amounts of white clouds. its interesting how even in the places we inhabit, we still destroy. However not only do these greenhouse gasses affect us, but end up throughout the atmosphere of the world. The article also states that these number can be even greater according to other sources, as high as 80%. There are charts that show the reader populations, avg. precipitation rates and temperatures of twelve cities focused on for analysis. then , it is explained that factors like aerosols, pavement and other structures play a role in the earth’s cooling and heating due to the effects it has on light trapping and atmosphere. When the author mentioned pavement and roads trapping heat I thought of hot summer days where I could see the heat of the from coming off the pavement while in a car. This is a fascinating yet small detail that plays a role in a larger issue. Another interesting finding from the reading is the many studies referenced that explain the effect urbanization has on downwind rainfall. The author states that there are positive correlations between these two factors which means there is more rain in city areas. I suppose this makes sense considering a larger population using more water therefore giving off more evaporation. There are many factors that affect the various parts of our lives in ways that we may not perceive on a day to day basis unless we study them first.
