LETTER: Las Vegas is hotter because of the heat island effect

Monday’s Review-Journal included a long article on the increasing heat in Clark and Washoe counties. Pollsters at the Yale School of the Environment want to blame it on climate change. It does not take a scientist to figure out the following:

Clark County is growing every year. When more asphalt is laid down, this increases heat on the surface, which in turn is re-emitted into the air throughout the day and night. The removal of grass and trees eliminates a source of heat absorption, thus increasing ambient heat. Installing fake grass retains heat and then re-emits that heat back into the air, even after the sun is down. This slows the cooling process. Solar panels, which are black, absorb the sun’s rays and heat and then re-emit that heat back into the air, slowing the cooling process and making the air hotter during the day.

All of the above would be a major cause of the heat island effect that we are experiencing. So, I guess when these scientists say that man is the cause of the heat, they may be right. The more we build, the hotter it gets in Clark County.