White roofs for a green planet

comments from our community

• 
  Posted by upajos Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:55am PDT

  Dark roofs are good in cold climates; light-colored roofs are good in a sunny, hot climate. Requiring white roofs in California (if that assertion is even true) sounds like an absolutely stupid idea. California has many climate zones, ranging from hot deserts to cold alpine and cool, moist coastal areas. Anyway, I live in California, and I see plenty of new buildings (private houses) being built even now with dark roofing materials, so IF there is such a law, it may only apply to commercial buildings. Forget global warming -- it's all a hoax, anyway. Choose the roof color that minimizes your heating and cooling cost and everything else will take care of itself.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Mariana Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:21am PDT

  Yes, please, paint all roofs and roads white, and anything else that can stand be painted (white cars only, anyone?) Build a couple of huuuuuge reflective surfaces too (who needs deserts, anyway?), just as a little extra. Let the self-proclaimed environmental experts mess a bit with the climate wherever they can through new and fancy and so "in" ideas/experiments. Increase Earth's albedo and soon enough we'll all go back to using, cutting and breaking down anything that burns because we'll need lots of fuel for heating in the new ice age such idiotic measures would bring! I can't believe articles such as this one appear online and in hard copy every week!

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by dorothypeniston Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:17pm PDT

  Roof tops in Bermuda are all way painted white. We need this because we catch rain for our tanks from our roofs.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Lulu Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:15pm PDT

  I have mentioned this idea to friends for years -- glad to see that it's actually being done! One concern I have, though, is with glare from sunlight reflecting off a blazing white roof. Wondering if the roof color could be light but more neutral ... not 100% bright white, but still light enough to achieve the energy savings? What about shades of green/tan/etc. to blend with the environment? Am also curious about the science behind dark roofing in cold climates; I'm not convinced that solar heat absorption actually makes a difference to heat the home significantly during winter months. For one thing, many homes in cold climates experience SNOWFALL and have an accumulation of snow on the roof ... essentially giving the home a white roof while the temperature is cold enough to prevent thaw of the snow. But I definitely think this is a move in the right direction!

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by chupeta Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:41am PDT

  cool. : our roof is light beige, is that okay? haha. :)

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Virginia Sat Oct 18, 2008 9:15am PDT

  this is a great idea for the whole earth .lets cooperate for a better environment. we wont loose anything but instead for our own good and to the next generation. lets love the earth and all the people around it,, then goodness will come back to us...lets help change the world . it all begin in us and our family..

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Mark Sat Oct 18, 2008 9:19am PDT

  MOJO, I disagree, its the former 'acid heads' of the early Seventies that are running things now. Otherwise GREAT POST

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by redrocketlady Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:15pm PDT

  paper.thats hard they all mex. or latins.I NEED HELP BAD.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by veronicamccormack@ymail.com Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:53am PDT

  I would just like to say that although I am a conservative, I also am a Christian, which means that I must do all I can to protect this wonderful world that He created. Please don't generalize, I just am concerned about our individual freedoms being taken away, which is why I am conservative, I have no problem with going green to protect our planet.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by santa6025 Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:20pm PST

  Heat rises, so having a dark roof during winter won't really help.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by l.derkovics Tue May 26, 2009 8:02pm PDT

  Didn't the Incas stucco an entire city in white once? If I remember right, they eventually had to abandon it because the heat became unbearable.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by southern Tue May 26, 2009 8:04pm PDT

  for those that say the earth will right itself and global warming is a hoax, please go up to the artic region a few bears n things need some desperately needed food. Figure you don't use your brains you have so what good are you cept for snack food and they probably send back a comment in yahoo all you idiots taste terrible anyways...

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by crysxgreer Tue May 26, 2009 8:06pm PDT

  why dont they just put solar panels on new buildings along with the white roofing... its only a matter of time, should start taking some big steps.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by Tex Tue May 26, 2009 8:07pm PDT

  What was around before the buildings? Trees, lots and lots of green plants. Green is dark and therefore absorbs light similar to the black tar roofs. So how is this better? People find shade under trees cool and comforting so they assume that it is cool out, neglecting the fact that its working in the exact same way.

  Report Abuse
• 
  Posted by c.chap Tue May 26, 2009 8:07pm PDT

  this is only partially thought thru; consider the REFLECTION against peoples eyes, looking across ALL THOSE WHITE ROOFS--------not pleasant-------I live in the SW; when I re-roofed several years ago, I opted for a sort of pale beige, adobe colored roof-------still helps w/ the issue and does NOT GLARE BACK at people who live across and higher up than my house---------yet another hair brained, partially thought thru plan------NO, I am NOT arguing to continue black, hot asphalt--------many updates-------Secty. Chu would have done well to update himself-------now he looks silly

  Report Abuse