CB BureauThe first-ever research using a global model to conduct
experiments has found that light-coloured cool rooftops and roads can curb
carbon emissions and combat global climate change.
The study was conducted by searchers at Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, California.
The researchers have found that implementing cool roofs and
cool pavements in cities around the world can not only help cities stay cooler,
they can also cool the world, with the potential of cancelling the heating
effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.
As white roofs reflect more the sun’s heat than black ones, buildings
with white roofs stay cooler and if the building is air conditioned, less air
conditioning will be required, thus saving energy.
In the latest study, the Berkeley Lab researchers and their
collaborators used a detailed global land surface model from NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center, which contained regional information on surface variables, such
as topography, evaporation, radiation and temperature, as well as on cloud
cover.
The results of the study were published online in the
journal