Day 744: July 23rd, 2021. As the world continues to warm and the country endures heat waves like never before, experts all over the globe are scrambling for solutions. Ideas are thrown out all the time, but one that has found some footing (even in places like Los Angeles) is light-reflecting pavement. . The strategy is exactly opposite of the approach behind solar panels - reflect the sun's energy by coating roads with a lighter-colored pavement. The coating isn't pure white (as to not blind drivers), but research shows that the more reflective roads could have a drastic effect on air temperatures. In some areas, reflective roads could lower air temperatures by more than 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit (1.4 degrees Celsius), and could even reduce the frequency of heatwaves by 41% across U.S. cities. Especially when it comes to urban areas, the large amount of pavement usually assists in making large cities "urban heat islands", but could now become veins of cooler air. . But the reflective streets aren't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a fine line between wanting a reflective surface and actually needing the regular heat-soaking pavement. In some cases, the heat reflection can actually bounce heat energy into nearby buildings, raising AC costs and increasing a reliance on fossil fuels. Heat reflection in cool climates can also unintentionally require nearby buildings to spend more on heating (since a large chunk of heat is bounced away). Implementation requires careful calculation on whether or not it would benefit a specific area, but if implemented correctly, the benefits could be huge. . . Read more about the pros and cons to reflective roads: https://theconversation.com/lighter-pavement-really-does-cool-cities-when-its-done-right-162918 . Graphic shows a road with a more reflective coating. The factoid reads: "Reflective roads have the potential to lower air temperatures by more than 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit." . . #reflectiveroads #globalwarming #climatechange #gogreen #cooltheearth #heatwaves #heatwave #cooldown #greentech #creativegreensolutions #pixelplanet #pixelplanettoday #pixelart #planetfacts