White Trumps Black in Urban Cool Contest
In response to warming weather and climate concerns, researches have been coming up with ways to help cool down our cities, which are often heat sinks due to their lack of trees, black asphalt, and the tall buildings that inhibit cooling at night. This can be an issue for human health, energy costs and have adverse affects on the weather and climate of the area. One potential solution to this problem is to reduce the heat absorbed in these areas by changing from black roofs on buildings to white ones. According to the article, roofs can reach a temperature of up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, the amount of heat it takes to cook a chicken, and the use of white roofs could decrease this temperature by 43 degrees.
This can be a very proactive solution to our concerns with climate change, that is easy to do and can have a direct positive impact on the environment we live in. “If a roof needs to be replaced, these synthetic options won’t cost any more than traditional roofing, but some special white paint can deliver similar results in the short term.” The question is are we willing to alter the aesthetic view of our buildings in order to help the environment?
