Does suburban sprawl have an effect on global warming?

Question

Does suburban sprawl have an effect on global warming?

Answer 1

Urbanization--different from UHI-- and other land use changes is of some controversy in the climate science community. While most do not believe that urbanization directly affects global temperatures, many think that the collective change in microclimate, as caused by land use changes, may add up to have some affect on a region, or possibly the global temperatures.

Answer 2

humanity is natures cancer.-blurey

Answer 3

More and more roads it will never end.Heterosexuals breed like rabbits and demand more houses and more roads.Too many people read bibles and multiply without end.More rooftops more roads does nothing to help our planet.

Answer 4

no because there is no such thing as global warming. What i do know is that Silicon Valley is built on PRIME fertile land that should be used to GROW FRUITS and VEGETABLES. Oh wait, that area USED to do that! D'oh!!!

Answer 5

No, but it does have an effect on surface mean temperature readings. It is called UHI, Urban Heat Island. It has no effect on global temperatures.

Answer 6

Trollazoid hit the nail on the head, but not only is the poor planning of communities forcing people to use fossil fuels, it also accounts for the loss of 80% of the forests in North America.

Hypocritical that we complain about loss of the rainforest but at the same time cut down 5 acres per minute of our own forests to create more and more sprawl!

Answer 7

It most certainly does.  Suburban sprawl in America has lead to what is called a driving society.  For most in suburbia nothing is within easy walking distance.  In order to get to the stores you have to get the family in the car to drive for miles to the nearest big box store.

Instead of many little ma and pa stores (more local jobs) we shop at a collection of these huge stores (walmart, home depot) for the convenience and to save a couple bucks.

If everyone live in cities, or at least small towns, you would be close enough to local stores that you would be able to walk.  the money you spent there would also stay in the community which would be spent back there.

The main key is that with a suburb you are forced to drive to get anything.

good question!

Answer 8

No! Sunspots and increased solar activity do, and they have NOTHING to do with suburbs, traffic, factories, or humanity. Get over it, already!

Answer 9

Theoretically yes, because it forces more automobile driving.  The participants attempt to offset the effects by using Priuses and other higher mileage vehicles, but they ignore the effects of forest and woodland removal to build big lot luxury homes which they then try to pass off as being "earth friendly" because they only use fluorescent light bulbs.