We don’t need to reinvent the wheel and invent highly-complex gadgets to keep our cities cool in the face of climate change. In fact, a bucket of white paint can already go a long way in helping cities shrug off rising temperatures. White paint limits the amount of light and therefore heat a building absorbs, reducing the need for air-conditioning and the impact of urban heat islands. While normal white paint can already provide cooling benefits to cities, a Dutch architect studio has teamed up with a Swiss paint manufacturer to create the most reflective white paint ever that bounces sun rays back to where they came from. When applied on the buildings and streets of hot cities, they stop the heat from being absorbed, protect buildings from excessive solar radiation, and once again, reduce the need for air-conditioning, which saves energy. The creators of the paint are hoping to cover an entire district in South East Asia with their ultra-white paint in the near future.
White paint: the surprisingly simple way to keep cities cool
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