...if the theories of California scientist Hashen Akbari are correct.

Akbari believes that the more roofs are painted white, reflecting sunlight back into the atmosphere, the less effect global warming will have, especially on our cities.

Countless studies have proved beyond doubt that buildings with white roofs stay cooler in the summer heat. In cities, painting roofs white would cut down on the build up of heat in urban areas, which in turn would mean less need for fuel-guzzling air-conditioning.

As a result, Akbari is campaigning for major cities to initiate roof painting schemes. He believes that if enough built up areas go white, it could reflect enough sunlight to counteract the warming that is caused by 44 billion tones of CO2 emissions annually.

The science is simple: global warming is caused by heat that is absorbed by dark surfaces and which then rises as thermal energy, which cannot escape from the atmosphere because of CO2 emissions which reflect it back. Most experts believe that a global rise of 2-3 degrees is inevitable in the near future. Reflected sunlight, though, does not contribute to warming, so the more sunlight that is reflected, rather than soaked up and converted into thermal energy, the better. Akbari accepts that his idea does not address the basic problem of carbon emissions, which have increased hugely, but he does believe it will give us more time to address the problem.

Akbari’s theory has been taken seriously enough so that many areas of southern California now oblige new buildings to have white roofs, while other major cities such as Seattle are considering the scheme. Akbari believes that if the world took his idea seriously, we could counter the effects of global warming within 10 – 20 years Lanzarote, with its long-established policy dictating that the facades of most buildings be painted white, could  clearly sit back smugly if compulsory roof-whitening schemes were made law, while neighbouring islands such as Tenerife, with its famed terracotta tiled roofs,  would have to make much greater sacrifices.  But Akbari’s theory goes further than roofs. He also believes that roads and carparks could be made with reflective surfaces that would also decrease absorption of sunlight. This doesn’t necessarily mean that roads will be white – this would not only be incredibly expensive, but would make driving dangerous due to glare from sunlight. Instead, there are pigments and minerals that could be used in tarmac that would increase reflectivity without dazzling drivers too much. 

Of course there is little to be done in the countryside, especially in Lanzarote’s vast areas of pitch-black volcanic soil, but over 2 per cent of the earth’s surface is currently built up and Akbari believes that a concerted effort to paint it white would cut down the effects of global warming enough to allow us time to plan more seriously for the future.