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I'm not an expert on the matter, but my understanding is that rooftop greenery is a cheaper and more effective way to reduce cooling in the summer and heating i
by delano 17y ago
I'm not an expert on the matter, but my understanding is that rooftop greenery is a cheaper and more effective way to reduce cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.
- Gupie 17y agoPerhaps however white roofs or roads etc would increase the amount of heat reflected back into space, as per the shrinking ice caps.
- olefoo 17y agoEven if we made every roof and every road a pure titanium white, it wouldn't make up for more than a fraction of the albedo change caused by the shrinking of the ice caps. In the US roads cover less than 3% of the surface and all artificial structures together cover less than 10% of the surface.
- yummyfajitas 17y agoThe relevant quantity is not albedo x area. The relevant quantity is energy reflected = albedo x area x energy deposition. Energy deposition is low near the poles. That's why they are cold.
- olefoo 17y agoYes, and surface albedo is only one of many factors affecting the global heat budget. Dr. Schneider's site is a reasonably good point to start understanding the complexities of climate change. http://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/index.html http://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/index.html
- yummyfajitas 17y agoPutting plants on the roof, fertilizing them, watering them and protecting them during the winter is cheaper than painting once every few years? (This of course assumes your roof is flat and strong enough for greenery.)