White roofs may not be so green.

Sometimes It Gets Complicated

Recently I’ve argued on TheGreenGrok.com that in some cases, as in discerning the long-term global temperature trend (or employing smart regulation when it comes to deepwater drilling) a little common sense will suffice.

But sometimes the climate system can surprise you — what seems like common sense may prove to be not so commonsensical. In a paper published in the Journal of Climate authors Mark Z. Jacobson and John Ten Hoeve of Stanford University argue that the climate impact of white roofs is a case in point.

Be a Painter, Paint It White

When faced with a tough problem, it’s often a good idea to start with the