Thursday, October 9, 2008

I see a black roof and I want it painted white...

Okay, so maybe not the best takeoff of the Rolling Stones ever thought up, but the sentiment is actually pretty on the money. Fortune reports that by installing a white (color) roof on a building it can reduce air conditioning costs by 20%. The Berkeley study from which the article is taken goes on to say that though there is not currently a carbon cap market in the US (as there is in Europe), the extrapolation potential in creating such a market and including said 'roof reflection reductions' could total up to $1.1 trillion dollars. That's a lot of money, and the only thing I want to know is, when can I 'white my roof' and get a piece of it. If Acme Petrochemical wants to buy my measly .10 acre's worth of carbon rights for some coin somewhere down the road, I say let's make a deal (because let's be honest, they're going to get it from somewhere...).

I also read a good portion of the ecophiles raging 'Comments' debate following the article, which basically broke down into chaos when the biomass supporters went negative on the reflectors and, as usual, any semblance of compromise and the greater good went completely down the drain (and was not saved in rain barrels; GASP!!!).

Maybe the Greeks are on to something...

1 comment:

Cara said...

I thought of Cream's "White Room" when I saw your title, personally!