The Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society in their lawsuit again the National Park Service over ORV use on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, has sent out press releases and information about the dire state of shorebirds on seashore beaches.
One of the claims is that the black skimmer population on the seashore in 2007 was zero.
That could be true, and there?s no argument from me that shorebirds on all of the North Carolina coast ? and probably all of the southeast coast ? are losing habitat to development.
But are they losing habitat to ORVs?
So far, there has been no scientific proof of that.
Let?s look more closely at black skimmers.
They are not nesting on the seashore beaches in the numbers they once did.
But there are other plausible explanations for that.
First, some favorite spots for skimmer nesting 10 or 20 or more years ago ? the Salt Pond near Cape Point, the interior of the Hatteras Inlet spit, and South Point of Ocracoke ? have been taken over by vegetation since those areas were made off-limits to ORVs year-round.
A decade or more ago, there were large and healthy skimmer colonies in the roped off areas at those sites. They seemed to thrive even as ORVs passed by just outside the closures.
Another reasonable explanation why skimmers have left the seashore beaches is predation. This has especially become a problem with the increase of vegetation in areas in which skimmers formerly nested. Common sense will tell us that the increased vegetation provides cover for predators ? feral cats, raccoons, minks, opossums, grey and red foxes, nutria, and more.
The Park Service?s report on predator removal from 2002 to 2008 makes interesting reading.
During those years, the park removed 311 raccoons, 163 opossums, 117 feral cats, and 157 grey and red foxes, and numerous other predators. Total predators removed totaled 828.
Birds are not dumb. Could it be that the skimmers have found a more suitable site for nesting? Have they found a site with bare, flat, sandy beaches and fewer predators?
Within easy sight of the seashore, just off the Hatteras Inlet ferry channel, there is an island named Cora June, which has become a favorite with a nesting birds, including black skimmers.
In the slide show with this blog, you can see the birds on Cora June Island early in June.
David Allen, wildlife diversity supervisor for the coastal region of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, looked at the photos and identified ?thousands of royal terns nesting with what looks like over 1,000 sandwich terns.? Also present he said were ?over 100 black skimmers? and some common terns.
Some of the skimmers did not have nests in early June but may well by now.
In a press release from last year, the Wildlife Resources Commission, said about these bare sand and shell islands formed by material from dredging projects:
?An outstanding success story can be found on Cora June Island, located near Hatteras Inlet. This island disappeared during Hurricane Isabel in 2003 but was rebuilt in spring 2007 during a dredging project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Only months after rising from the sea, the island was home to one of the largest mixed tern/black skimmer colonies in the state with good numbers of nesting adults that successfully fledged hundreds of chicks.?
Cora June is an island formed by sand from dredging in the Hatteras Inlet ferry channel. It is named for David Allen?s daughter, who was born on the day that the Wildlife Resources Commission finally got a permit to dredge and form the island. The permit came through in 1998, the island was built in 1999, was wiped out by Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and then rebuilt.
There are many other dredge spoil islands along the coast where bird colonies are thriving.
And so what if they prefer the islands to the seashore beaches, where they are at the mercy of storms and predators?
No reason to hold Hatteras and Ocracoke islanders and visitors hostage in an effort to lure these birds back to the beaches that may no longer be suitable for them.
And one more note:
While the consent decree is forcing large closures of seashore beaches for nesting least terns, the birds have taken a liking to flat roofed buildings on the North Carolina coast and in other coastal regions of the southeast, where have more open space and fewer predators on rooftops also.
According to figures provided by the Wildlife Resources Commission, there were 261 terns nests on the roof of the Belk department store in Kill Devil Hills in 2007. And at one point, in 2001, there were 458 nests atop the Nags Head Food Lion.
In fact, in a May press release, the commission estimated that in 2007, 30 percent of the state?s least tern population was nesting on rooftops. And it asked coastal building owners to allow and encourage these nests.
So, if the terns are happy with rooftops, why are we closing the beaches for them?
And enjoy our slide show by photographer Donny Bowers on the ample bird life on Cora June Island.
Observer??? ? Crotalus??? ? other anonymous enviro-extremists ? comments???
Or is this just more common sense than you can deal with???
I am afraid to go to Ocracoke until all of this is settled. And then if it?s not settled in favor of at least full pedestrian access, I don?t think I can go. Why am I afraid? I don?t trust myself not to drive to the South Point. I?ll easily pay the fine, that?s no problem. What I worry about (and what my husband is afraid of for me) is getting arrested. I can see myself standing at the signs for no access and crying hysterically. Thinking about it is painful enough. I can?t imagine being there. When they first started restrictions on driving on Ocracoke decades ago, my father started taking us to Portsmouth instead. I guess for now at least, that?s my alternative. Are they restricting Portsmouth yet? Anyone know?
Rebecca Doughty, Baltimore, MD.
Another interesting point is Mike Murray let it slip at one of the last Reg/Neg meetings as he was discussing one of the plans around the salt pond that they could use decoys and audible sounds to lure the birds there like the NC Audubon has been doing on the dredge spoils. Yes for many of the past years they had been actively luring these birds OUT of the park just a few hundred feet away where they are not part of the “official” count. In other words Walker Golder and company who were part of the suit blaming ORV?s and others for declining bird counts in the park, were themselves actively luring birds out of the park!
I personally think it?s great that the birds adapt to safer places, the problem is the way they are counted. There needs to be some kind of an aggregate count number that would include spoils and rooftops which while not technically in the park are certainly part of the range for the birds using the seashore.
This luring program should have been fully vetted up front, we understand they are now no longer doing it. Perhaps they want the birds to return to the park so their precious CONsent looks successful?
Rebecca,
Please come to Ocracoke! You won?t even notice the beach closures on most of the island. Just try different parts! They are NOT affecting any beach goer who wants to swim and enjoy the beach. You could be here for two weeks and walk on new beaches every day. Sure small parts are blocked off but don?t for a second believe the doomsdayers who say all the beaches are closed. Ridiculous!
Also, I noticed that the slide show did not show any of the bird types that are being protected: Oyster catchers, piping plovers, least terns, etc. Why Not?
Rebecca,
Cape Lookout (CALO), with Portsmouth part of it, has wildlife closures as well but nothing like the consent decree in effect at CHNSRA. CALO, like CHNSRA, also has no approved ORV plan and is working on one to a schedule that lags a little behind CHNSRA.
You can bet that whatever the outcome at CHNSRA, it will flow down across Ocracoke Inlet to CALO.
This article and it?s slide show says so much, but all of us must remember, these special interest groups don?t care about the birds or turtles. they only want humans GONE.
Back during RegNeg I had a conversation with Sandy Hamiltion from the NPS. We met at Finnigans, as she was returning from Ocracoke with Carol Mansfield from RTI.
When I asked why the NPS did not take the large populations of the subject birds into account, after all they were just a some yards away from the Seashore?
Her reply was that the Seashore would have it?s own populations. Birds outside of the NPS lands did not matter.
It?s a Field Of Dreams. Build it and they will come works. Cora June proves it.
It?s time for the NPS to step up to the plate and create the bird populations it wants without shutting down public access and finally balance their dual mandates.
Let nature takes it?s course is a laudable concept. The problem is that when you artificialy impose a man made quota, you take nature out of the equation.
This is a wonderful, factual article! Thank you, Irene for your research. Thank you Donny for your pictures.
It is interesting while viewing the slides to notice the one with Hatteras homes in the background. The slide of the sign says the island was established by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. This was funded by the taxes and licenses in NC. The beach closures are funded by all tax paying Americans.
The economy on Hatteras Island is paying a hugh cost. Here is a quote from an island realtor this week: ?there are a lot of desperate homeowner?s willing to take just about anything for their vacation homes thisa week that are not renting very well at all, this is about the worst year for July rents in many, many years.?
What can anyone do about this injustice?
1. Send the article to all NC legislators US Congressmen, and Mike Murray.
2. Tell anyone interested that there are plenty of cottages, motel rooms, and
campground sites this week and the rest of the summer.
Lodging is being advertised at reduced rates. Motels, $50 a night. Call for quotes. Restaurants are having great, reasonable specials. We had prime rib last night for $9.95!
Thank you Irene & Donnie. I?ve observed the least terns for years up on the roof tops at the malls. The dredge islands are working too for certain shore birds. Everyday I see park personnel killing, trapping and poisoning animals in Buxton. Piping plover numbers are down. It?s not working. Please stop destroying the balance of nature.
Jim Boyd:
“Observer??? ? Crotalus??? ? other anonymous enviro-extremists … comments???
Or is this just more common sense than you can deal with???”
****************************************************************
Nail on the head, Jim, nail on the head. They?re off spreading green cheer and misinformation elsewhere today, apparently?.
Great article and photos, Irene! Hats off to both you and Donnie Bowers for shedding some light on this contentious issue.
Love your blog, BTW! I see you?ve met some “interesting” characters since it began. They do their level best to discourage us into rolling over, shutting up, accepting what they see as inevitable, and they do it on every related forum and blog out there. I not only say NO to them, but HE11 NO!!!! We aren?t going anywhere. If anything we?re getting louder, and people are starting to wake up.
It?s never made any sense to me that the bird species in and around the area cannot be counted together. It?s been explained that it?s because they fall under different jurisdictions, such as NPS, USFWS, NCWRC, EIEIO, etc. (Sorry, the same old acronyms get boring sometimes?) If they?re on the island, or in sight of the landmass, total them up as one group, by species, and see what those numbers are! (Of course, we all know it?s just a shell game used to make their recovery numbers look the way they want them to, so don?t expect any changes unless they?re mandated.)
The whole nesting on rooftops thing just goes to show that animal species can and DO adapt, even when the evil hand of man is in play. They show they?re plenty smart enough to avoid “man induced mammalian predation” on their own, thank you very much!
It would appear the only “Bird Brains” out there belong to the Enviro Extremists.
Irene asks
So, if the terns are happy with rooftops, why are we closing the beaches for them?
It?s only one species of colony nester and those types of rooftops are too, going extinct.
Currently, these rooftops are being converted to a new substrate, unsuitable for Least Tern nesting, because of changes in state building codes.
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1644/15..)086%5B0803%3ASOTWMP%5D2.0.CO%3B2?journalCode=mamm
There are problems with the birds nesting on the roofs. The 150-degree rooftop temperatures bake the eggs and chicks. Other chicks tumble off the rooftop. Eggs are damaged when the adult birds leave the nest. According to Schweitzer, the least tern is clumsy when it flies off. It will push off the nest with its body. The hard, pebble stone roofs, unlike sand on the beach, have no give when the birds put body pressure on the eggs. The eggs are crushed. Now there is an additional problem with the rooftop nesting sites, particularly after Hurricane Hugo. Coastal buildings damaged in the storm have had their pebble stone roofs replaced with smooth, plastic roofs. These replacements were cheaper to install; however, the least terns will not nest on the smooth roofs.
http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/barr..
There are three populations ? sub-species ? of least tern, California, interior and Atlantic. The Atlantic least terns are the only ones not federally listed (special concern NC), although they should be listed as at least threatened based on the decades of decline, the other two are endangered.
Jim Boyd wrote:
Observer??? ? Crotalus??? ? other anonymous enviro-extremists … comments???
Or is this just more common sense than you can deal with???
Patience, grasshopper.
Crotalus,
Patience you say?
I?m still waiting ? your first cited link goes to a page about moose???
And you didn?t address at all the huge elephant in the room ? those pictures of tons of terns and black skimmers having a ball on our dredge islands???
Perhaps you are the grasshopper and I?m the teacher???
“Patience, grasshopper.”
That?s a good boy. (Pat, pat), lay down, now..
David Carradine would be proud. The Kangaroo Court of Crot is about to convene, sans rope thingy?.
All Rise!!!
This mess has nothing to do with the birds..
Jim Boyd wrote:
Crotalus,
Patience you say?
I’m still waiting … your first cited link goes to a page about moose???
And you didn’t address at all the huge elephant in the room … those pictures of tons of terns and black skimmers having a ball on our dredge islands???
Perhaps you are the grasshopper and I’m the teacher???
The link malfunctioned. You have to copy it and paste it into your browser.
The elephant in the room is the 99 percent of those “tons” of terns are royal and sandwich terns that don?t nest on our beaches. I don?t see any least or gull-billed terns in the photos and just a few common terns.
The ~50 pair of skimmers represents only a small fraction of what used to nest from Bodie Spit to South Point Ocracoke.
The real elephant in the room is the populations skimmers, common terns and gull-billed terns haven?t increased on state-owned islands, so one can?t just claim the Hatteras birds just moved. They?re MIA and probably died before replacing themselves in the population.
The NPS has created a hostile enviroment for the skimmers and terns near Cape Point. They used to nest there 15+years ago, when the Point was open to ORV & Pedestrians. Now the thick vegetation has grown closer to the ocean. Skimmers like nesting in the sand?.they like the dredge islands.
I?m sorry. I listen to this mess day after day and all it serves to do is make me hard hearted toward the birds in the first place. And this comes from someone with three bird feeders and a birdbath in my very tiny front yard. I used to love them. Now I think that if they are too stupid to adapt then so be it.
We close the majority of a National Park, ruining people?s lives and businesses, and putting more and more people on the unemployment payrolls of our state, to protect birds who are stupid enough to nest on rooftops that reach 150 degrees and who also squash their own young when flying? Bird parents who lay their eggs in a place where their babies can roll off the roof and die? If I were this stupid as a parent I would expect my own offspring to suffer.
From the sound of how stupid the terns are and from other information I have read about the PP?s, it seems to me that we could shut down the entire island (which I continue to feel is the real ulterior motive of the environmental extremists) and the stupid birds would still manage to place themselves out of existence.
Dear God, when is enough enough?
Thank you, Crotalus, for an excellent example of ?best science available? ?
Boyd wrote:
Thank you, Crotalus, for an excellent example of “best science available” ?
If you have better data, by all means bring it forward and put up, or shut up.
The first Crot link;
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1644/15....)086%5B0803%3ASOTWMP%5D2.0.CO%3B2?journalCode=mamm
It gives this result;
The requested article is not currently available on this site.
The second is better; http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/barr....
Some quotes;
Least terns nest on beaches and dunes, but as their habitat diminished, they have moved to dredge sites
This change in nesting sites could be the stage before extinction if history is any clue. No one knows for sure.
Least terns are opportunists, exploiting the best habi-tats at the optimum times. They appear to be able to adapt, to move from beach, to dredge site, to rooftop. Dredge sites have been used by least terns for nesting sites when the dredge site mimics the beach. These dredge sites get hot but have better wind circulation and water conditions than the rooftop sties.
Nearly 100 percent of Florida?s least tern population is on artificial sites. The least tern population in North Carolina and Virginia nesting in artificial sites is increasing.
The dredged material is a combination of river sediment, sand, and shells. The sites are used by the least terns for the first year and possibly the second year. After the first year, the site undergoes changes. Grasses and shrubs appear. The least tern uses a flat, barren land-scape to nest and does not like vegetation. If the site is not maintained, the birds will not return to the dredged site on the third year.
Volunteer docent programs are being created to offer visitor management at the dwindling number of natural nesting sites of least terns.
The docent program enables the humans and the birds to occupy the beach together.
There are problems with the birds nesting on the roofs. The 150-degree rooftop temperatures bake the eggs and chicks. Other chicks tumble off the rooftop. Eggs are damaged when the adult birds leave the nest. According to Schweitzer, the least tern is clumsy when it flies off. It will push off the nest with its body. The hard, pebble stone roofs, unlike sand on the beach, have no give when the birds put body pressure on the eggs. The eggs are crushed.
And then there?s this;
Small radio transmitters have been attached to the birds, but the transmitters must be 3 percent of the body weight to keep the birds from losing their equilibrium. Taking this into consideration, these small transmitters must be 0.6 or 0.5 of a gram in weight.
With the transmitter so small, the range is small, according to Schweitzer. Plus the transmitters do seem to change the equilibrium of the birds.
Least terns have been observed picking the monitors off, carrying them out to sea, and dropping them in the ocean.
Oh really. A bird that crushes it?s eggs when it flies off, Is clumsy when it flies off, knows the transmitter is evil and can be killed by drowning at sea. That is enough right there to call B. S. on this whole piece. The way it is written suggests more than one Least Tern has picked a transmitter off, and carried it out to sea. Where is a lie detector test when you need it.
Well I dont know much about Birds . But I sure know the difference between ?..
“”Chicken Salad and Chicken Chit. “” Thats my observation??
Duh! Excuse me croaker or whatever your name is, but you enviro-extremists claim to be the ones saying that all of this is based on good science ? perhaps you should follow your own advice and put up some good science (not opinions) or shut up.
Shortstroke wrote
Oh really. A bird that crushes it’s eggs when it flies off, Is clumsy when it flies off, knows the transmitter is evil and can be killed by drowning at sea. That is enough right there to call B. S. on this whole piece. The way it is written suggests more than one Least Tern has picked a transmitter off, and carried it out to sea. Where is a lie detector test when you need it.
What does it matter where they carried it off to? I?ve read other studies where they tried to use popsicle sticks to mark nests and the terns even carried them off.
These are documented observations. If you?ve got better observations, bring them forward. We?ll be waiting ?. You should also contact Sara Schweitzer at: http://www.forestry.uga.edu/warnell_bios.. as to your claims she?s a liar.
I don?t know why the other link got scrambled. Here?s the abstract:
Roof-top Selection by Least Terns in Pinellas County, Florida
Elizabeth A. Forys and Monique Borboen-Abrams
aNatural Sciences Collegium, Eckerd College 4200 54th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711 forysea@eckerd.edu
bSt. Petersburg Audubon Society, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Abstract
Primarily due to loss and disturbance of their open beach habitat, Least Tern (Sterna antillarum) nesting colonies often occur on flat or gently sloped gravel rooftops throughout the Southeastern United States. Currently, these rooftops are being converted to a new substrate, unsuitable for Least Tern nesting, because of changes in state building codes. The purpose of this study was to determine which rooftops Least Terns are currently selecting to help develop man-made structures for nesting and determine where these structures should be placed. From 1998-2003 in Pinellas County, Florida, all previously occupied Least Tern rooftops were surveyed to see if they had a colony and new colonies were located. In 2003, there were 36 rooftops with colonies and 34 unoccupied rooftops that had been previously occupied sometime from 1998-2002 but still had gravel rooftops. In addition, 36 gravel rooftops that had no record of supporting a Least Tern colony were randomly selected. At each building distance to any body of water, distance to a large body of water, distance to a higher building, distance to another colony, height of building, area of rooftop, number of taller trees/poles within 50 m and number of trees that touched the roof were measured. Backwards stepwise regression indicated that only distance to water significantly predicted if a rooftop was currently or never occupied. These results indicate that even relatively small, low structures, located near any body of water may be judged suitable by Least Terns and have the potential to help add to the species’ overall productivity.
Boydy wrote:
Duh! Excuse me croaker or whatever your name is, but you enviro-extremists claim to be the ones saying that all of this is based on good science … perhaps you should follow your own advice and put up some good science (not opinions) or shut up.
I posted two links related to the loss of even roofs as nesting habitat and you want to challenge the science? You think there?s a lot of science in the building code business do you?
Get back to me when you graduate the third grade and develop some comprehension skills, okay?
Um, as far as these rooftop temp?s go?
“The 150-degree rooftop temperatures bake the eggs and chicks”
Anybody who?s ever “Hot Footed” it across the summer sands on the OBX knows the dry beach temperature reaches well above our own bodies? 98 degeree threshold. I would also venture a guess that normal CHNSRA sands, especially the red variety, meet or exceed these temperatures. (I could find no data either way in a short search).
Intrigued by this, I will be carrying a calibrated temp. measuring device to HI over the 4th weekend, and will report the measured sand temps with the sun at a level close to its annual zenith, from various locations, just for fun.
Third-Grade Science stuff, don?t ya know?.
I was asked not to share this info, when it 1st transpired, but I really don?t care at this point. Reg Neg is over, so who really cares..
The SELC, Defenders of Wildlife and the Audobon are truly?heartless b@st@rds. When the CD was written by the otherside..yes?the otherside?it was presented late on a Friday afternoon and it was demanded by the otherside that this document be signed and returned in a few hours.
This meant there was no real time to review the document and/or talk with the others involved in the desicion making, including Hyde County. Ourside basically said F off and it was then declared that the document needed to be back, signed within less than a week(including the weekend).
So now there was just enough time for everyone to read the document,set a meeting and vote..
The PUBLIC was denied a voice by the actions of these groups?Our county was unable to have any public comment from those they represented, by the actions of these groups.
They have no respect for the human element what-so-ever..and those who care reading this should know that Derb Carter is no new person to this Island..
He has had his hands in numerous issues for quite some time now..and His firm will be responsible for any suit brought against the replacing of the Bonner Bridge..
DO NOT let the lies and propaganda told to you by these groups and their partnering News groups that this document was willing signed by all involved,because it is not the truth..
and if you didn?t know?Maybe you should ask somebody..
Warren,
Thank you for your post regarding the identity of “observer”. I have suspected for some time now that it is Jason Rylander, attorney for Defenders of Wildlife, one of the “hired gun” lawyers for the other side. It?s quite clear that the Consent Decree was written by unreasonable enviro-extremists and there have been only two unreasonable enviro-extremists posting thus far on this forum, “observer” and “crotalus”. It?s time that islanders realized who they are debating with ? the very authors of the Consent Decree we are suffering under ? lawyers ? paid so-called “professionals” ? or, as you say “hired guns”! What does this really mean? It means that the many reasonable people on the other side are not being heard from ? only lawyers ? only people who stand to profit from this continuing dispute.
We need to hear more from the PEOPLE on the other side, reasonable environmentalists, not paid lawyers ? people like BARBARA ACKLEY ? I have tremendous respect for her approach, restoring plover habitat around the salt pond, etc. IF WE COULD GET THE LAWYERS OUT OF THIS THE ENVIRONMENTALIST IN ALL OF US WOULD COME OUT AND WE WOULD HAVE HAD A WORKABLE SOLUTION LONG AGO.
And one more thing ? can you tell us why we have not heard a peep from our other-wise miracle-working state senator, MARK BASNIGHT!!!
WHERE IS MARK BASNIGHT WHEN WE NEED HIM??? I would like to hear a lot more on this forum about his MIA status on this issue. I hope he doesn?t expect to be re-elected by remaining neutral, which tells me he is against us! Let?s flush him out, see where he stands and, hopefully, get him working for the people on this issue. He certainly must have the time since banning plastic bags (not a bad idea) is his top priority!
WHERE IS MARK BASNIGHT WHEN WE NEED HIM MOST???
Alan wrote:
Um, as far as these rooftop temp’s go…
?The 150-degree rooftop temperatures bake the eggs and chicks?
Anybody who’s ever ?Hot Footed? it across the summer sands on the OBX knows the dry beach temperature reaches well above our own bodies’ 98 degeree threshold. I would also venture a guess that normal CHNSRA sands, especially the red variety, meet or exceed these temperatures. (I could find no data either way in a short search).
Intrigued by this, I will be carrying a calibrated temp. measuring device to HI over the 4th weekend, and will report the measured sand temps with the sun at a level close to its annual zenith, from various locations, just for fun.
Third-Grade Science stuff, don’t ya know….
Roof-top temps get so high one can?t walk on them because the (dark) shingles are ?melted? and your shoes actually leave imprints in the shingles. (I started as a roofer?s helper when I was ten)
Flat roofs are not much different, depending on the color of the gravel, temps will vary greatly. The lighter the gravel, the greater the albedo, the darker the gravel, the greater the heat absorption, as anyone who?s walked barefoot from a concrete sidewalk onto an asphalt road knows.
Jim Said:
“Warren,
Thank you for your post regarding the identity of “observer”. I have suspected for some time now that it is Jason Rylander, attorney for Defenders of Wildlife, one of the “hired gun” lawyers for the other side. It’s quite clear that the Consent Decree was written by unreasonable enviro-extremists and there have been only two unreasonable enviro-extremists posting thus far on this forum, “observer” and “crotalus”. “
I?ve long held that these guys, under their current and other guises, were either some of the big enviro players or very well connected to them. The information they supply is too detailed to be coming from laymen, and their dedication to spreading their ideologies is simply astounding. You will also notice an elitist air about most of their posts. We?re all beneath them, in their minds.
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Crot said:
“Flat roofs are not much different, depending on the color of the gravel, temps will vary greatly. The lighter the gravel, the greater the albedo, the darker the gravel, the greater the heat absorption, as anyone who’s walked barefoot from a concrete sidewalk onto an asphalt road knows.”
You are correct sir! The roofs in question and the beach are both aggregate covered, and color does matter.
Be that as it may, I have in my hot little hands an Infra-Red Non Contact thermometer from Omega. (Gun style) I will be conducting my own experiments the 4th weekend on just how hot the beach sands get, taken various places from the waterline to the dune ridge, and also across the varied spectrum of sand colors that exist in CHNSRA. I might even see if I can place myself on a flat aggregate covered roof without getting arrested?.
I will post my findings upon my return from paradise. Should be interesting at the very least!
Have a great 4th of July weekend, everyone!
Crotalus,
Are you brain dead? Why would anyone in their right mind today do a flat roof in anything but white?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
You know all these roofs are white!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don?t try to tell us they are otherwise. Foodlion, nor any other busines is going to install a roof except that it reflects heat (white) instead of absorbs it (dark). Are you just stupid, or are just such an elitist snob to think that all islanders are ignorant of basic thermodynamics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To use your words “put up” some good science or “shut up”!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is sad! Not mincing words, human survival trumps all other. The fittest survive. There is no other argument. Compromising is OK but don?t forget who is at the top of the food chain.