Would you paint your roof white to slow global warming?

Question

London, May 27 (ANI): US President Barrack Obama's energy adviser has suggested that as part of efforts to slow global warming, all the world's roofs should be painted white. 

According to a report in the Telegraph, Professor Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, said that the unusual proposal would mean homes in hot countries would save energy and money on air conditioning by deflecting the sun's rays. 

More pale surfaces could also slow global warming by reflecting heat into space rather than allowing it to be absorbed by dark surfaces where it is trapped by greenhouse gases and increases temperatures. 

The Professor described climate change as a "crisis situation", and called for a whole host of measures to be introduced, from promoting energy efficiency to renewable energy such as wind, wave and solar. 

The Nobel Prize-winning physicist said the US was not considering any large scale "geo-engineering" projects where science is used to reverse global warming, but was in favour of "white roofs everywhere". 

He said that lightening roofs and roads in urban environments would offset the global warming effects of all the cars in the world for 11 years. 

"If you look at all the buildings and if you make the roofs white and if you make the pavement more of a concrete type of colour rather than a black type of colour and if you do that uniformally, that would be the equivalent of reducing the carbon emissions due to all the cars in the world by 11 years - just taking them off the road for 11 years," he said. 

http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20090527/981/tsc-paint-your-roofs-white-to-slow-globa.html

the only booboobear · Accepted Answer

I would install sun and wind power devices to my house if the government was going to pay for it!






http://www.panoramacafebar.com

Anonymous · Answer

Yes, if it was affordable.

Edit: Michael's wrong. Roughly 3% of the earth's surface is covered with buildings. The earth reflects about 29% of the sunlight that falls on it. Towns reflect more sunlight that the global average.  Painting all roofs white could nudge the reflection up to 30% - this would lead to a drop in global temperature of up to 1 c - almost exactly cancelling out the global warming that has taken place since the start of the industrial revolution.

Anonymous · Answer

Painting roofs white will interfere with the natural radiation of heat as white reflects all waves in the color/energy spectrum. The difference will be minimal, though, as paint is not a true white. Also, heat will still escape as convection currents come in contact with roof material. You would need two true white or silvered layers with an area of vacuum in between if you wanted to make a noticeable difference.

Anonymous · Answer

This has not been very well thought out has it, when the sun's rays are absorbed or reflected by a surface the wave length changes (any colour),  hence the term 'greenhouse effect'.

The truth is that it could in fact make things much worse.

RockLikeDucks. · Answer

I don't live in a 'hot' country, but I guess i would.  It does seem like a lot of trouble though to just to reduce carbon emissions that cars have produced in 11 years, although I guess thats a lot.
xx

CC · Answer

Since over 500 scientists have debunked the global warming science, there is no need.

Conway Valley · Answer

Er if you go to the Med all the houses are white anyway?

f100_supersabre · Answer

Nope.

I live in a rural area.

I am MORE concerned with staying warm in winter!

Anonymous · Answer

I painted mine white yesterday

Andi C · Answer

I would, but I live in a ground floor flat with four floors above me!

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Would you paint your roof white to slow global warming?

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