I think the nuttiest thing that Chu suggested was that roofs should be painted white after the fact. The suggestion has always been to install white roofs as part of new or replacement construction.

The white roof idea may arguably be effective in saving air-conditioning costs in places like Phoenix. As you say, that’s an ENERGY issue, not a global warming issue. And I thought that it was now called “climate change,” anyway.

You’d think SEC of ENERGY would have his hands full addressing ENERGY issues, like efficiency, conservation, production, indpendence etc…. not talking about global warming.

In high latitude cold climates there is so little solar radiation available in winter that there is essentially no gain available and no net gain through a full day cycle. In lower latitudes but at high altitude, there can be good solar gain when it is cold, but I think it is best to just make a very secure envelope that doesn’t allow excessive energy transfer to or from the outside environment.

Heating dominant climates should have dark roofs. Only in cooling dominant hot climates should have light colored roofs.

He didn’t realize that part of his job is negotiating with OPEC.

He’s advocated for higher energy prices.

He’s already drunk the Global Warming kool-aid.

There is, of course, scope for more ambitious albedo modification schemes outside urban areas to achieve global cooling.

The hockey stick was turned from a scientific plot into the most widely reproduced picture of the global warming discussion.”

Hope these get you off in the right direction.

(Yawn) G’night.

Here ya go:

“The review, carried out by a team from Harvard University, examined the findings of studies of so-called “temperature proxies” such as tree rings, ice cores and historical accounts which allow scientists to estimate temperatures prevailing at sites around the world.

The findings prove that the world experienced a Medieval Warm Period between the ninth and 14th centuries with global temperatures significantly higher even than today.”

Sorry, couldn’t find the actual study. Maybe Al Gore paid them to remove it.

A distinction between reflected radiation and absorbed radiation is important. The point of the white paint is to reflect more of the light, before it’s absorbed.

Once any of the light frequencies is absorbed, it’s converted into heat energy, which may be re-radiated off the roof, for instance, or conducted/radiated through a poorly insulated attic into the living area of the building, which then requires air conditioning energy to move back to the outside air, along with the additional heat created by the air conditioner. It’s better to just reflect it in the first place.

BTW I like the tinfoil hat idea. Or even better an Orgone accumulator.
http://inventors.about.com/od/qrstartinventors/a/orgone.htm

I’d guess that over half of the cars in Arizona are white, and plenty more are another light color. The roofs and parking lots should also be a light color, and some new ones are. There is even a “white” road asphalt available, I believe, although I don’t remember ever seeing it in use.

Just because it sounds nutty doesn’t mean that it is. And Chu acknowledged that it was only part of the answer to his problem. He may not be a serious Sec. of Energy, but this isn’t proof of it.

If the Greenies want me to paint my roof white, they can just back up their truck loaded with a bunch of money, buy my house and paint it any color they choose.

Until then, we bought it – we decide.