Painting building roofs white could cool some major cities baking in the intensifying heat of a changing climate. How much benefits white roofs could bring depend on the region of the country they’re installed in and the season, new research shows.
Keeping cities cool in the summer is becoming increasingly important as more people move to urban areas, which currently house the majority of the world's people.
Keeping cities cool could also help reduce the number of heat waves and the strain they put on the public health system. According to the National Weather Service, heat is the most deadly natural hazard in the country and it can have outsized impacts on elderly city residents.