The Obama Administration’s latest proposal to fight “global warming”: Paint roofs white.
I kid you not.
From the Telegraph.co.uk:
Professor Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, said 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.In a wide-ranging discussion at the three-day Nobel laureate Symposium in London, 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 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.
This is from a man who won a Nobel Prize.
They just give the damn things away these days.
If “global warming” is caused by “greenhouse gases”, how exactly would reflected heat from pale colored roofs escape our atmosphere. This is contradictory in itself.
I suppose we should consider dying the dark blue oceans white, as well?
Let’s assume that this kooky idea has a shred of merit. While this may be fine for hot, summer months, wouldn’t a dark roof be better to cut down on heating structures in the winter months?
If heat is absorbed by dark colors, would it not make more sense to “global warming” nuts to advocate for dark roofs? Thus keeping more heat out of the atmosphere?
Ah, what’s the use.
You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried.
