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Professor Steven Chu: paint the world white to fight global warming
Times Online ^

Posted on 05/26/2009 8:59:19 AM PDT by Sub-Driver

Professor Steven Chu: paint the world white to fight global warming

Mark Henderson, Science Editor

The Nobel prize-winning physicist appointed by President Obama as US Energy Secretary wants to change the colour of roofs, roads and pavements so they reflect more of the Sun’s light and heat to combat global warming, he said today.

Professor Steven Chu, speaking at the opening of the St James’s Palace Nobel Laureate Symposium, for which The Times is media partner, said this simple and “completely benign” approach to “geo-engineering” could have a vast impact at low cost.

By lightening all paved surfaces and roofs to the colour of cement, it would be possible to reduce carbon emissions by as much as taking all the world’s cars off the roads for 11 years, he said.

Building regulations should insist that all flat roofs are painted white, while visible tilted roofs could be painted with “cool coloured” paints that look normal, but which absorb much less heat than conventional dark surfaces. Roads could be lightened to a concrete colour so they do not dazzle drivers in bright sunlight.

“I think with flat-type roofs you can’t even see, yes, I think you should regulate quite frankly,” Professor Chu said. “I would be in favour of that.”

Asked whether governments should be promoting white paint as a solution to climate change, he said: “Yes, absolutely? White roofs everywhere, yes.”

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chu; cluelessindc; globalwarming
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To: Ole Okie

>> Amen. And all that chipping in between paint jobs.

Hey, maybe we’ve discovered the 3 million new jobs Bambi was promising...?

(Or was it three billion? Bambi’s Big Big Numbers all run together after awhile.)


21 posted on 05/26/2009 9:12:57 AM PDT by Nervous Tick (Stop dissing drunken sailors! At least they spend their OWN money.)
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To: 11Bush
Actually, light surfaces reflect heat just as dark surfaces absorb them. I restore the black color on my driveway about every other year because surface snow and ice will actually start melting in the mid-20's when the sun is out. It saves me a lot of work on scraping and a lot of money on ice-melt chemicals since 25 degrees or so is an average winter high for SW Pennsylvania.

On the downside, of course, I have to put up with a driveway which is extra hot in the summertime. But the science of surface coloring, unlike the science of global warming, is sound. If global warming were a real problem, this would be a far more realistic remedy than cap and trade, CO2 emission regulations and some of the other cockamamie solutions being bantered about.

Here's another logical remedy:


Qattara Depression

If Greenland melted down completely, 88% of the excess water produced could be contained by flooding the uninhabited Qatarra Depression in northwest Egypt, producing thousands of miles of valuable lakefront property, generating electrical power as water flowed from the Medditerranean to the depression and potentially turning much of the surrounding Sahara Desert into arable land.

It took Greenland 18,000 years to accumulate as much ice as it has now. How long do you think it will take it to melt?

How long do you think it will take the global warming Chicken Littles to even propose a simple countermeasure such as this?

22 posted on 05/26/2009 9:13:51 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or, are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: Sub-Driver

So who’s going to pay for all of this?

Oh, wait - I know this one...


23 posted on 05/26/2009 9:17:10 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (When you put Democrats in charge, stupid things happen)
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To: Sub-Driver

I’m sure glad he’s not suggesting anything crazy or nonsensical like the scientists in the 70’s who seriously proposed dusting the ice caps with coal dust to fight “global cooling.” God I hope somehow the sheeple get a clue and fight this nonsense!


24 posted on 05/26/2009 9:18:11 AM PDT by JaguarXKE
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To: Sub-Driver

Drop us into an ice age. Death become him.


25 posted on 05/26/2009 9:20:16 AM PDT by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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To: keepitreal

I think the black asphalt drive ways in the north, are also valuable in the fact they absorb what little heat there is, and helps melt the snow..thus saving a snow blower, or snow plow on a pick up, or a regular snow plow...if the snow is not terrible deep on the drive way...


26 posted on 05/26/2009 9:20:17 AM PDT by JoanneSD (illegals represented without taxation.. Americans taxed without representation)
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To: Sub-Driver

Ah yes, led based paint will work best. Mixes well with the mercury in the new light bulbs....

And I want white solar panels too!


27 posted on 05/26/2009 9:21:28 AM PDT by griffin (Love Jesus, No Fear!)
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To: reagan_fanatic

LOL!


28 posted on 05/26/2009 9:22:51 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA (http://ccwsaveslives.blogspot.com/)
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To: GOP_1900AD

Death becomes him ... need more caffeine for slow fat fingers ...


29 posted on 05/26/2009 9:23:00 AM PDT by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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To: Sub-Driver

BUT, don’t give me any of those nasty wind turbines that hurt all those nice little birdies and have those ugly power cables all over the place. I don’t want any of that even if it is white.


30 posted on 05/26/2009 9:25:31 AM PDT by griffin (Love Jesus, No Fear!)
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To: Sub-Driver
How about red?


31 posted on 05/26/2009 9:27:04 AM PDT by Freedom_Fighter_2001 (When money is no object - it's your money they're talking about)
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To: King Moonracer

Uh-oh....but his skin absorbs lots of heat too! Maybe we need to bleach everyones skin! Michael Jackson had the right idea for the environment..


32 posted on 05/26/2009 9:28:25 AM PDT by griffin (Love Jesus, No Fear!)
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To: griffin

led = lead. Duh. (sigh)


33 posted on 05/26/2009 9:29:29 AM PDT by griffin (Love Jesus, No Fear!)
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To: Sub-Driver

To all those making fun of this solution.

Don’t.

It works. I do building inspections, part of which is inspecting roofs and attics. Buildings in which the roof is more reflective don’t pick up nearly as much radiant heat as those that are less reflective. Radiant heat transfer is largely not stopped by insulation and is a major cause of discomfort even in air conditioned homes.

Every roof must be replaced every so often. What’s so terrible about picking a more-reflective material when you’re replacing it anyway? As a neat side benefit, dark roofs, because they get so much hotter, don’t last as long as more-reflective roofing materials.

Save money on energy, save money on roof maintenance and replacement, have a more comfortable building.

What’s wrong with that?


34 posted on 05/26/2009 9:33:24 AM PDT by Sherman Logan (Perception wins all the battles, reality wins all the wars)
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To: Sub-Driver

35 posted on 05/26/2009 9:45:27 AM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* 'I love you guys')
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To: Sherman Logan
"What’s wrong with that?"

government legislation of accepted colors.

36 posted on 05/26/2009 9:47:48 AM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* 'I love you guys')
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To: Sub-Driver

What a great idea. Good thing he’s in charge. [/s]


37 posted on 05/26/2009 9:52:48 AM PDT by rbg81 (DRAIN THE SWAMP!!)
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To: BuffaloJack

I could never understand why in states in the Deep South where you run the A/C year round, the roof shingles are always black. If you are building new or re roofing, often the only shingle choices are black or dark brown. Why aren’t there white roof shingles?


38 posted on 05/26/2009 10:09:40 AM PDT by sportutegrl (If liberals could do math, they would be conservatives.)
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To: Sub-Driver

Nice to know we have such reasonable pragmatists at the levers of power. NOT!!


39 posted on 05/26/2009 10:12:33 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Impeach President Soros!!!)
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To: Sub-Driver

Tell ya what, Professor Chu — YOU pay the costs and I’ll have my house re-roofed with lighter-colored shingles. Deal?


40 posted on 05/26/2009 10:14:34 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Impeach President Soros!!!)
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