According to a recent study published in journal Climatic Change, the color white could significantly offset CO2 emissions, playing a role in the combat against global warming. Using white paint or  materials for the roofs of city buildings is just one facet of what scientists call geo-engineering, or a positive manipulation of the Earth’s environment.

How does it work? Think about your clothing choices on a hot, sunny day. Donning a black t-shirt will make you feel a lot hotter than if you wore a white one. The relationship between color and heat absorption works the same for buildings. Roofs currently make up 20-25% of urban surfaces, with most of them being black or near-black. The dark color absorbs vast amount of heat and so causes buildings to warm up faster, translating to higher energy use in the form of air conditioning. By switching to white roofs, which reflects rather than absorbs heat, we can offset 24 billion tons of CO2. According to scientists, that’s like taking all of the world’s cars off the road for 10 years!

-Marygrace, KIWI Staff Writer