Research
Current Interests
Green Roofs
Green roofs are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional bitumen roofs. Green roofs provide added insulation to buildings, capture rainfall reducing stormwater runoff, and uptake certain air pollutants. Despite the numerous benefits, their adoption in the United States has been limited by their upfront cost over conventional roofs. My research seeks to quantify the current cost gap for green roofs, model the air pollution uptake of green roof plants, and understand how valuation of air pollution reduction can reduce the overall cost gap for green roof systems.
Other Research Activities
Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study
The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study conducted a two-year study to determine whether elevated levels of dioxins in soil in areas along the Tittabawassee River flood plain have caused elevated levels of dioxins in residents’ bodies. The website explains the project, and includes the results of the study.
Construction and Demolition Debris
As there is no federal definition of construction and demolition debris, each state has created their own definition of the waste stream resulting in a variety of landfill and recycling regulations. A national assessment was conducted where I aggregated and analyzed state regulations and contacted state regulators for comment on regulatory interpretation.
Journal Articles
Green Roof Valuation: A Probabilistic Economic Analysis of Environmental Benefits
Clark, C; Adriaens, P; and Talbot, FB. 2008.”Green Roof Valuation: A Probabilistic Economic Analysis of Environmental Benefits,” Environmental Science and Technology, 42 (6), 2155–2161.
This paper quantitatively integrates environmental benefits of green roofs (stormwater, energy, and air pollution) into an economic model that captures the building-specific scale. A net present value analysis of a conventional roof and a green roof are presented. These benefits are also viewed at the city scale under large-scale implementation scenarios.
A Review of Construction and Demolition Debris Regulations in the United States
Clark, C; Jambeck, J; and Townsend, T. 2006. “A Review of Construction and Demolition Debris Regulations in the United States,” Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 36:141–186.
This paper reviews state regulations on construction and demolition (C&D) debris landfills. Without a federal definition, regulations are determined state by state, which has lead to a great deal of variability in the handling of this waste stream. A summary of regulations for each state is included as well as an overall assessment of national trends in C&D debris waste disposal and recycling.