Can we slow down global warming by painting all rooftops with solar reflective paint?

Question

With the solar reflective Arctic Ice Cap melting, I was wondering if we can all do a small part by painting all rooftops with solar reflective paint. I know reflective paint will decrease our usage of electricity by keeping the house cooler, but can it also slow down global warming by reflecting the light and heat back into space?

Answer 1

You make a very good point and a scheme using this very principle is being put forward as one way of combatting global warming.

Painting rooftops will reflect *some* of the sunlight and heat back out of the atmosphere but not all that much. There's a couple of things to bear in mind - the total surface area of every roof is only a tiny fraction of the surface area of the earth, somewhere in the order of a five thousandth of the world's surface area (assuming 100 square meters for each of the planet's inhabitants that live in a building with a solid roof). Another problem would arise for people like me who live in a generally cold climate (England) where it would be necessary to turn the heating up to compensate for the loss of natural heating.

However, if it was done on all practical properties it would make a difference, small though it would be.

The similar principle being considered is one that involves artificially creating clouds. Sea water would be fired up into the atmosphere to create clouds in order to reflect the sun back out of the atmosphere.

Answer 2

Merely by painting roof you will extend the life of the shingles. The paint will wear off in the sunlight before the asphalt shingle degrades. Avoiding the manufacture of more shingles will cut down on the amount of energy needed to do so and the creation of greenhouse gases from the process. A white roof will definitely keep an attic cooler and save on cooling costs. Whereas most addicts are insulated, a traditional black roof is nothing but a waste. Even white shingles unpainted last longer than black shingles because they don't heat up so much in the sun.

My understanding is that the greenhouse gases create a blanket on earth's surface which traps heat. By reflecting the light back into space before absorbed into the earth or the ocean, a cooling should effect.

Global dimming is the effect that particulate pollution has on blocking the sun's rays. Dust particles in the air reflect the sun's rays and result in cooling.

Answer 3

The people saying no because it will get trapped in the atmosphere are partially right and partially wrong.

It would be more effective to reflect light above the atomosphere, but if you reflect the light and increase the flux of light below the atmosphere more will escape back to space. This is true for areas covered with ice which contribute to a lot more light escaping directly back to space.

Also remember this that the "greenhouse effect" is caused by IR radiation whereas much incoming light is in the UV-vis spectrum so directly reflecting it they are not subject to the same properties as the IR light which is much lower energy,

Answer 4

The snag is that the heat is not radiated into space. It gets radiated back into the sky but it can't get through the carbon dioxide which our cars and power stations have put there. This is the man made component of global warming.

However in hot areas you will save energy in air conditioning by making rooftops solar reflective. You also save electricity if you have big trees. Saving energy saves CO2 emissions.

This is no use to most of the rest of the world who don't use aircon.

Answer 5

painting all rooftops with solar reflective paint can't slow down global warming.i say like because painting roof with paint that relfect solar only help inside buliding from gaining heat,not slow down heat gain outdoor,that because relfected heat is still trapped in air by green house gas that cause global warming.

most effective way to stop slow down global warming is stop doing anything that release green house gas into air that entrap heat and causing gobal warming.one of the biggest contributor that release green house gas in to air is power generator that use combust fossil,like coal.that should be replace by clenear technology such wind,solar,etc.people also encourage to have car pool.well there still a lot way to slow down global warming,but i are not going to write all those ways here.you can find them yourself.the end

Answer 6

Sounds great! But I also heard that Al Gore is going to buy us all new Prius' with the money he raises from the worldwide concert series for Global Warming! Maybe if we all walked around with tin foil on our heads...shiny side up, of course.

Dude. Relax. The world is not coming to an end any more than the killer bees were going to kill us in the 70's or all the computers were going to freeze up on Y2K.

Global warming is a natural phenomenon that cannot be "corrected" by us mere humans. Yes, we need to take care of the earth and be better stewards, but we do not have the ability to alter the atmosphere in any great way.

Answer 7

This international Warming =climate substitute is generally coming from the nice and snug air from the likes of Al "Hoots"Gore and others pushing this international warming =climate substitute I recommend the loopy stuff they arise with first it replaced into cow farts then no longer some time past fat human beings helped reason international warming =climate substitute. those adult men pushing this white roof stuff in all hazard have funds invested in white roof textile , in simple terms as Al"Hoots"Gore is desperate to get one hundred million for his green tech. GE & Immelt are pushing this through fact they gets billions from Obama admin for backing the plan as will Zucker and NBC. Concrete homes carry warmth too yet they are gray yet a lot lighter than rooftops . So what is going to they do with all those gray concrete homes huh! loopy human beings pushing this international Warming =climate substitute. gets crazier each and in line with annum. With this international warming stuff in simple terms final week in Vernon BC and Edmonton Alberta Canada that they had snow in might youngsters had to flow out donning parkas incredibly of prevalent shorts this time of year. must be that international Warming =climate substitute they communicate approximately.

Answer 8

Insulating your roof might be more useful. Would think reflecting heat back into the atmosphere would just heat up the air around you and higher the temperature. Grass roofs absorb heat too and insulate.

Answer 9

i dont think so , because global warming is caused when heat is trapped by atmosphere which has been radiated by earth and water bodies and not due to absorption by earth

Answer 10

Let's do the highways too.