The United States has more than four million miles of paved roads and approximately 3 million or more are asphalt. Asphalt is a good absorber of solar energy released as heat after dark. Why is it that the contribution of asphalt roads to global warming and climate change in the U.S.A. is virtually entirely overlooked?
Changing the way asphalt roads warm things up should be a priority for anyone concerned with global warming and climate change. Roads of course also break up ecosystems into little isolated pockets that most animals and even bees find problematic.
The albedo of asphalt roads is quite negative. If roads could be resurfaced with white solar repelling material that would be an improvment. Even better though would be discovering a way to pave the three million miles of roads with some sort of solar voltaic material that produces electricity.
Phoenix Arizona should become the focus of a federal infrastructure upgrade experiment that would eliminate dark asphalt roads and produce electricity with new paying materials. Bureaucrats perhaps may not wish to work on anything new or that requires innovation and experimentation.
Changing the way asphalt roads warm things up should be a priority for anyone concerned with global warming and climate change. Roads of course also break up ecosystems into little isolated pockets that most animals and even bees find problematic.
The albedo of asphalt roads is quite negative. If roads could be resurfaced with white solar repelling material that would be an improvment. Even better though would be discovering a way to pave the three million miles of roads with some sort of solar voltaic material that produces electricity.
Phoenix Arizona should become the focus of a federal infrastructure upgrade experiment that would eliminate dark asphalt roads and produce electricity with new paying materials. Bureaucrats perhaps may not wish to work on anything new or that requires innovation and experimentation.
