I have always wondered why our roofs used black shingles, as they significantly increased the heat within our homes in summer. White shingles always seemed better.
It won't help reduce CO2 in the atmosphere but will reduce heat build-up in the atmosphere.
Our earth is a closed system with only sunlight able to enter and leave. If we find ways to reflect the sun's energy rather than absorb it, it might help provide time to "figure out ways to limit greenhouse-gas emissions or remove the gases from the atmosphere".
The USA Energy Star site has more details and a roofing calculator which i used to see the difference between black shingles and white shingles with reflective coating. There are real savings each year (as well as, I suspect, longer shingle life).
There appears to be good development underway by Dow Chemical to develop a solar panel roofing tile. If these tiles do not cause home heat retention, we might turn a negative into a real positive!
"Necessity is the mother of invention" used to be a standard saying.
Now, it may be more appropriate to say "people will force beneficial innovation", as hybrid cars would not be here if the public hadn't demanded, Kyoto wouldn't be in place if people hadn't demanded (or if Harper had his way), plastic shopping bags and water bottles wouldn't be on the way out, etc.
We always must remain cognizant that big business will only develop reasonably priced environmentally friendly consumables if buyers demand them.
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