Wayne Tyson writes: > I take > it, however, that he wants someone to beg for information about "other, far > less expensive "cool roofing" solutions are available as well without going > to the bother of creating rooftop gardens." Ok, I'm begging, Wirt!
Begging isn't necessary. This EPA site is a good place to start: http://www.epa.gov/heatisld/strategies/level3_roofproducts.html It's important to understand that cool roofs aren't going to greatly affect global warming, at least not directly as a radiative transfer mechanism. The amount of infrared radiation reradiated upwards by normal roofs, when averaged globally over the surface of the Earth, isn't significant to any measurable degree. But cool roofs do contribute to a lessening of greenhouse gases indirectly because they cause buildings to be greatly more efficient in their use of energy, particularly for summertime airconditioning, and any attribute that lessens overall power consumption is only to the good. Wirt Atmar
