I
launched the White Roofs Project back in Nov 2010, and now for the next stage am
putting together an 18 month campaign promoting white roofs to businesses, the
public, councils and government.
White
roofs offer one of the fastest and lowest cost ways of helping reduce global
warming by mimicking how the polar icecaps reflect sunlight back into space and
cool the planet. Around that time of the launch I found to my surprise that
others around the world also had the same idea as me, there was now a depth of
science behind it, and it was being implemented by the Obama Administration on
Federal buildings across the USA.
Since then I've had emails from around the country, media attention, more
white-roofs popping up on houses, some businesses too, and interest from
Auckland Council.
The
next stage needs money that I don't have.
Stage
1. Crowd-funding the Setting-up via PledgeMe.
Stage
2. If the target is reached, then I can go full time on 10 weeks Setting Up, directly
approaching businesses for support of the 18 months campaign.
Stage
3. If enough businesses are interested by the end of Setting Up, then their
offers can be accepted and the actual 18 month campaign begins!
Many
NZ businesses have quietly used white roofs for years for energy efficiency,
long before it was known that this also cools the planet. A few of these businesses
have already said they are interested but it needs about 100.
It's a win-win
solution
because white roofs are free during regular maintenance or at the design stage
when you have to0 choose a roof colour anyway; they save money on air
conditioning bills and reduce emissions; the paint lasts longer because less
thermal expansion and contraction means less wear and tear on the paint; and
buildings are cooler in summer.
Why white roofs? Emissions
reduction schemes are not working yet, we need to act NOW, and instead of
waiting, we can do white roofs in our own back yards, because everyone lives or
works under a roof and every 20 years or so when we repaint we can go white for
free. Saving the planet one roof at a time and helping raise awareness.
I am 58, have two degrees (engineering and
architecture), worked in physics, have funded the project with what money I had
and my 'spare' time but need funding for the next part.
