‘Global warming’, painting your roof white,  and the Chattanooga Chu-Chu

Chu’s ‘Texas Longhorn’

(A point here, a point there, and a whole lotta bull in between.)

Steven Chu, entertainingly described as an “Energy Secretary”, says we can Save The Planet from “global warming” by painting our rooftops and roads white. He says making roofs and roads paler would have the same effect as taking every automobile in the world off the road for 11 years.

The Limbaugh Question

Rush Limbaugh, entertainingly as always, but pointedly, asks –

 “Now, would somebody explain to me how he knows this? … If we can do something that will effectively remove the carbon emissions of every car on the road for 11 years, then why are we doing anything else?  Why are we doing cap and trade?  Why are we getting rid of SUVs?  … How much paint is this going to take, by the way? How much of a footprint does paint manufacturing leave?  … I need a scientist to answer this for me. I understand how clouds at altitude can help reflect the heat, but I want to know … where does that reflected heat go? … Are we being told here that reflected heat is not damaging at all, but direct heat is? It seems to me that, if we had ‘global warming’, wouldn’t we want dark roofs to absorb the heat?”

His Lordship’s Elegant Answer...