Environment & Disaster - Community Costs
ENERGY DEMANDS: Energy demand in urban areas is increased by the urban heat island effect. On hot summer days, urban air can be 2-10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the surrounding rural areas. Scientists call this phenomenon the urban heat island effect.i
WATER SERVICE: The cost of water infrastructure replacement far exceeds the financial capabilities of local water utilities and requires a strong commitment from not only utilities, but rate-payers and government as well.
PROPERTY TAXES: Property taxes typically include costs associated with fire-fighting programs, police, street construction, parks, etc. They may also include incentives for building that promote sustainable development and contribute to a better quality of life for the community.
INSURANCE PREMIUMS: The quality of life of a community is reflected in the insurance premiums for that area. For example, in areas of heavy traffic, the risk of an accident is greater and so automobile insurance premiums are likely to be higher.
HEALTH COSTS: The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration attributes an average productivity loss of 14 minutes per day (approximately 3.0 %) due to poor indoor air quality in buildings.xi
DISASTERS: The debris left after a major disaster such as an earthquake, fire, or flood can be massive and create its own set of public health and safety problems.
ENERGY DEMANDS: Energy demand in urban areas is increased by the urban heat island effect. On hot summer days, urban air can be 2-10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the surrounding rural areas. Scientists call this phenomenon the urban heat island effect.i
Heat islands are made as vegetation is replaced by asphalt, concrete and other surfaces. These surfaces absorb the sun's heat, causing surface temperatures and overall ambient temperatures to rise. The displacement of trees and shrubs eliminates the natural cooling effects of shading and evapotranspiration.ii
DID YOU KNOW?!
The building industry annually accounts for an estimated 40% of world's energy usageiii
WATER SERVICE: The cost of water infrastructure replacement far exceeds the financial capabilities of local water utilities and requires a strong commitment from not only utilities, but rate-payers and government as well.
All of the water that we use in our homes comes from either a ground-water source, such as a well, or from a surface-water source, such a river, lake, or reservoir. In 2000, about 240 million of the 285 million people in the U.S. got their home water delivered by a public supplier, such as the county water department. At other homes, people provide water for themselves from wells, cisterns, ponds, or streams.iv
While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state governments set and enforce standards, local governments and private water suppliers have direct responsibility for the quality of water that flows to your tap. In 2001, one out of every four community water systems did not conduct testing or report the results for all of the monitoring required to verify the safety of their drinking water.v
DID YOU KNOW?!
The pipes for the U.S. drinking water system span over 700,000 miles, more than four times longer than the National Highway System.vii
PROPERTY TAXES: Property taxes typically include costs associated with fire-fighting programs, police, street construction, parks, etc. They may also include incentives for building that promote sustainable development and contribute to a better quality of life for the community.
In May 2000, New York became the first state to offer an incentive package to developers who build environmentally sound commercial and apartment buildings. This innovative tax law -- or "green building credit" -- is aimed at encouraging the housing materials and construction industries to adopt green practices on a large scale by providing tax credits to building owners and tenants who invest in increased energy efficiency, recycled and recyclable materials and improved indoor air quality (IAQ). The credit allows builders who meet energy goals and use environmentally preferable products to claim up to $3.75 per square foot for interior work and $7.50 per square foot for exterior work against their state tax bill. To qualify for the credit, a building must be certified by a licensed architect or engineer, and must meet specific requirements for energy use, materials selection, indoor air quality, waste disposal and water use.viii
Tax incentives offered by states are increasing; examples include: Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon.ix
DID YOU KNOW?!
The building industry annually accounts for an estimated 3 billion tons of raw materials (approximately 40 % of total) and 15 - 20 % of the waste stream.x
INSURANCE PREMIUMS: The quality of life of a community is reflected in the insurance premiums for that area. For example, in areas of heavy traffic, the risk of an accident is greater and so automobile insurance premiums are likely to be higher.
Disaster-related risks include: earthquake, fire, and flood. Increased severe storms and increased solid surfacing (non-pervious paving) that does not allow rainwater to percolate naturally into the ground have significantly increased flooding problems in urban areas.
All areas are susceptible to flooding, although to varying degrees, in fact, 25% of all flood claims occur in the low-to-moderate risk areas. Flooding can be caused by heavy rains, melting snow, by inadequate drainage systems, failed protective devices such as levees and dams, as well as by tropical storms and hurricanes.
Flood insurance is available to any property owner located in a community participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In 1968, Congress created the NFIP in response to the rising cost of taxpayer funded disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage caused by floods. Flood damage is reduced by nearly $1 billion a year through partnerships with communities, the insurance industry, and the lending industry. Further, buildings constructed in compliance with NFIP building standards suffer approximately 80 % less damage annually than those not built in compliance.
DID YOU KNOW?!
Every $3 paid in flood insurance claims saves $1 in disaster assistance payments.
HEALTH COSTS: The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration attributes an average productivity loss of 14 minutes per day (approximately 3.0 %) due to poor indoor air quality in buildings.xi
A number of illnesses, such as Legionnaires' disease, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and humidifier fever, have been directly traced to specific building problems. These are called building-related illnesses. Most of these diseases can be treated, nevertheless, some pose serious risks.
Sometimes, however, building occupants experience symptoms that do not fit the pattern of any particular illness and are difficult to trace to any specific source. This phenomenon has been labeled sick building syndrome. Symptoms include: dry or burning mucous membranes in the nose, eyes, and throat; sneezing; stuffy or runny nose; fatigue or lethargy; headache; dizziness; nausea; irritability and forgetfulness.
DID YOU KNOW?!
World Health Organization experts say that up to 30 % of new or remodeled buildings may have unusually high rates of health and comfort complaints from occupants that may be related to indoor air quality.
DISASTERS: The debris left after a major disaster such as an earthquake, fire, or flood can be massive and create its own set of public health and safety problems.
The quantity of debris can be challenging.xii The Northridge earthquake in 1994 and the devastating fires in Oakland and Malibu in 1991 would have generated more than a million tons of disaster debris without recycling and reuse programs already in place. Los Angeles' Earthquake Recycling Program (established after the 1994 Northridge earthquake) saved 1,629,788 tons, or about 5,350,000 cubic yards of landfill space.xiii
Furthermore, disasters can release large quantities of potentially hazardous materials, including: chromated copper arsenate (treated wood)xiv; lead, mercury, cadmium, and polybrominated flame retardants (persistent, bioaccumulative toxins found in computers and other electronic equipment)xv; dioxins and hydrogen chloride (released when PVC products such as vinyl flooring and vinyl siding burn)xvi, and household products such as pesticides, herbicides, paints, and cleaners.
Often, such products in smaller quantities are not considered to pose significant health risks, but in large quantities become problematic.
DID YOU KNOW?!
PVC (polyvinylchloride) can pose a great risk in building fires, as it releases deadly gases long before it ignites, such as hydrogen chloride which turns to hydrochloric acid when inhaled.
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