Tuesday, May 26, 2009

There Will Be Whitewash At The Whitehouse.

This idea doesn't seem too bad to me:

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.

It seems like such an obvious idea that I imagine that anyone who wasn't a Nobel winning physicist would feel a little bit embarrassed proposing it.

If it would actually works as effectively and at as little cost as Chu claims then I'm a little surprised that the idea hasn't featured more prominently in ideas for reducing global warming.Environmentalists appear to prefer solutions that are costly and would entail radical changes to how we live.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you insane?

tolkein said...

Bjorn Lomborg suggested it, which is why environmentalists have ignored the idea. It was in a Guardian article http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/nov/18/paintitwhite

Macheath said...

'Environmentalists appear to prefer solutions that are costly'Otherwise how would we all know that what they are doing is important? I mean, if Joe Smith can pop out with a pot of Dulux at the weekend, we don't need an army of 'experts' to tell us what to do.

It's a shame that WH security staff would probably veto one common-sense idea around - lots of leafy plants close to buildings to cut air-con energy consumption.

BTW, is the musical title intentional or is it just a happy Welsh coincidence? Either way, I can't stop humming it now.

Ross said...

"Are you insane?".

Possibly.

"Bjorn Lomborg suggested it, which is why environmentalists have ignored the idea. ".

Oh right, I didn't know that. That makes me feel better about liking the idea.

"if Joe Smith can pop out with a pot of Dulux at the weekend, we don't need an army of 'experts' to tell us what to do.".

True we couldn't have that.

JuliaM said...

"Environmentalists appear to prefer solutions that are costly and would entail radical changes to how we live."

Not a bug. A feature...

James Higham said...

Environmentalists appear to prefer solutions that are costly and would entail radical changes to how we live.

Don't they ever.

Ross said...

"Not a bug. A feature...".

Yes, the environment does seem like a pretext a lot of the time.

TDK said...

You might find this calculation of interest.

Anonymous said...

Also this is relevant:

He calculates the saving noting:

You must drive 12,500 kilometers with your car to warm the Earth by the same picodegree that you "save" by painting your roof white.

Ross said...

Anon, thanks for that link, I've only just seen your comment so apologies for the delay in responding.