How to cool the planet

This, I think, really makes sense.

A seemingly simple way of keeping those temperatures cool, especially in view of climate change is:

(wait for it....)

...painting the urban areas white.

From our physics classes, we all learned on black-body radiation...the darker the body, the more heat is absorbed and the less is reflected. Hence, Hashem Akbari a scientist at the prestigious Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, came up with the idea of painting roads, pavements and building in light colours to reduce the urban heat island effect and hence save on electricity and pollution. In a few words, we need to increase our albedo.

Easy, simple and cost-effective.

Just some ratios:

Coloured paints have an albedo of 0.1-0.3;
White paints an albedo of 0.5-0.9;
Asphalt road surfaces have albedos as low as 0.05;
Concrete has an albedo of up to 0.3;
Tar and gravel just 0.1.

What does this mean? Take concrete. An albedo of 0.3 means that concrete absorbs 70% of the sun's radiation.

In California warehouses and commercial premises with flat roof have to have them painted white. This has been in force since 2005 (always avant-garde).

Now lets think locally. We should do this in Malta. Think of the picturesque villages in Italy and Greece that are all whitewashed saved for the colourful doors and windows. They did it for a reason!

Sources: The Guardian; New Scientist