A study by Professor Jeremy Munday of the University of California, Davis, suggests that the world’s whitest paint could help to cool the Earth by reflecting more sunlight back into space.
The paint, a combination of barium sulfate and silica developed by researchers at Purdue University in 2021, is capable of reflecting more than 98 per cent of light. This means that it could significantly reduce the amount of heat that the Earth absorbs from the sun.
Professor Munday’s study found that if the paint were to cover just 1-2 per cent of the Earth’s surface, it could offset the amount of heat that the planet is currently absorbing. This would help to slow the rate of global warming. The redirection of heat using ultra-reflective paint would have a minimal impact on space since the sun already emits a billion times more heat than the Earth.
Covering an area of 2-4 million square miles with the ultra-reflective paint, equivalent to the entire United States, would be necessary to achieve the desired impact. However, covering such a large surface area is impractical due to concerns about wildlife, weather disruptions, and logistical challenges.
Professor Munday also cautions that there are some challenges that would need to be overcome before the paint could be used on a large scale. For example, it would require a very large amount of paint to cover a significant portion of the Earth’s surface.
The sources for this piece include an article in BusinessInsider.