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“Back when we were your age, we couldn’t even open doors due to snow in March.” Does this sentence sound familiar to you? As you may have noticed, in recent years, snowfall in Ankara has decreased significantly, to the point where it hardly snows anymore. So why are we experiencing this phenomenon? We are writing this news article to look beyond the familiar answer of “Global Warming.”
HOW DOES SNOWFALL GET AFFECTED BY GLASS BUILDINGS?
When we say snowfall cannot be observed through windows, we wanted to emphasize a scientific fact. Have you noticed the increasing number of glass buildings in your cities lately? Especially in developed city centers, skyscrapers covered in glass are abundant. Could the factor hindering us from watching snowfall from our windows be the glass itself? Is there a correlation between decreasing snowfall and urbanization? The answers we found will surprise you… The fundamental reasons for the construction of glass buildings include brightness, thermal insulation, solar insulation, energy efficiency, aesthetic, and functional design. Glass coatings are mostly used in tall buildings and shopping centers. For example, buildings like TOGO and YDA Center in Ankara serve as examples of glass buildings. While glass-covered buildings may appear beautiful to some, it’s not entirely accurate to say the same about their impact on climate and temperature. Glass surfaces allow some of the heat rays from the Sun to pass through but reflect some of it back like a mirror. These excessively reflected rays increase the city’s temperature significantly, forming substantial heat islands in cities. As Ahmet Köse, the 2nd Chairman of TMMOB Chamber of Meteorological Engineers, pointed out, “These reflected rays can increase the air temperature by at least 3 degrees.”
When water vapor falls below zero degrees, it crystallizes and condenses over time, forming snowflakes. The descent of these snowflakes to the Earth’s surface is called snowfall. Glass buildings increase the amount of reflected light, making it difficult for the temperature of the clouds to drop below zero. In situations where the temperature drops below zero, it can hinder crystal formation, causing precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow. For example, in urbanized areas of Ankara’s Beytepe region, where little snow falls, there is a noticeable snow cover in Beytepe Village, which is approximately at the same altitude. In short, if we say that glass buildings increase the adverse effects of global warming and reduce snowfall, we would be correct…
WHY IS SNOWFALL IMPORTANT?
We couldn’t build a snowman in our schoolyard during the winter of 2023-2024 due to the lack of snow in Ankara. You can see the photo of the mudman we made to draw attention to this issue. Snowfall has been an important source of play for children for centuries and a significant factor in nature, but as Prof. Dr. Enis Öksüz, whom we interviewed, also mentioned, at this rate, we will only see snowfall in movies as children. Besides our emotional responses like not being able to play snowball fights or build snowmen, snowfall has vital effects. As our Deputy Headmaster of 6th Grade at ODTÜ Development Foundation Schools, Alper Etyemez, mentioned, snow increases soil fertility, fills reservoirs, cleanses toxic substances in soil and air, kills microscopic organisms in the air, protects the plants it covers, and is also an important source of income for winter tourism. Snowfall not only has a regional impact on Ankara but also holds great importance for the global climate. Snow plays significant roles in polar climates such as thermal insulation, water source production, reflecting sunlight, and creating habitats for living organisms.
The impact of glass buildings on snowfall can be linked to the Sustainable Development Goals of Climate Action and Terrestrial Life. At least two of these 17 goals aimed to be achieved by 2030 can be completed by preventing the indiscriminate construction of glass buildings. Article “13.3. Enhancing education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning of climate change” can be associated with the impact of snow on climate. Additionally, in the article “15.4. Ensuring the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity,” it can be understood that snow, which is an important part of mountain ecosystems and biodiversity, is considered a natural element to be preserved by the United Nations.
WHAT CAN BE THE SOLUTION?
We are aware that we cannot eliminate glass buildings. However, by researching the impact of glass buildings on climate, constructive regulations can be created by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. For example, regulations can be produced for glass buildings, like controlling or limiting carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles. Instead of making the entire building out of glass, only functional purposes can utilize glass, and reducing glass coating on some suitable buildings can be examples of solutions.”
WRITER
METU DF ANKARA SCHOOLS YOUNG REPORTERS TEAM
REFERENCES
Anasayfa. (2015, March 11). Kuresel Amaçlar; Küresel Amaçlar.
Eko Yapı Dergisi. (2017, June 8). Binalarda Cam Kullanımının Artıları Nelerdir? EkoYapı Dergisi. https://www.ekoyapidergisi.org/binalarda-cam-kullaniminin-artilari-nelerdir
Ekonomist. (2022, March 13). Kar yağışının faydaları neler? Ekonomist. https://www.ekonomist.com.tr/tarim/kar-yagisinin-faydalari-neler-30385
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