And it was all just black or white!
Sydney has a sub-tropical climate where it is subjected to a lot of heatwaves and the city needs to be prepared to embrace these hot and tough times.
Urban heat island effect is the most significant problem of Sydney as the urban built up spaces get more hotter compared to the rural spaces. Lack of vegetation and reflecting surfaces add up to this phenomenon. Sydney’s out west seems to be the most heated up areas during the heat wave impacting the entire community. Usage of air conditioners during this time can increase its demand while skyrocketing the electricity costs.
Electricity and energy use can be one way to keep ourselves comfortable , but what if it leads to more blackouts and become unsustainable in the long run.
We did come up with solutions like green roofs which proved to have environmental benefits . While the green roofs are good to prevent rainwater runoff and can provide double insulation, it is not necessarily the only sustainable solution to mitigate the urban heat island effect. It is interesting to see Sydney in a bird’s eye view because most of the building roofs are pitched roofs and are mostly dark in color. Irony is that these dark roofs absorb more heat compared to any other lighter coloured roofs. The overall heat buildup of these buildings can also cause discomfort to step out in the hot sun making people inactive and less interactive.
Recent studies show that white roofs are three times more efficient than a black or green roof and are effective in reflecting sunlight and bouncing it back to the atmosphere. This boomerang effect can be a good solution to keep the below room temperatures cool in a cost friendly way and by making our lives more comfortable as well. So, why not paint our city white for a bright and comfortable future.
In Australia, CRC for low carbon living has come up with a lot of research to mitigate the urban heat island effect. On the contrary, The implementation of this is to be nowhere found as there is a continuous disconnect between the stakeholders, policy makers and developers. Lack of awareness is another important factor which is making people to make such decisions.
Towards the future, we need to change our mindset, keep ourselves aware of these sustainable solutions and come up with strategies and policies to remind us of what we can achieve. This can benefit us and the environment mutually.
