Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Worth 5 Minutes


I understand there are reasons why asphalt is usually the preferred surfacing material for roadways. It provides good traction. Snow and ice melt faster than with concrete.

But there's a big problem with it: it's black, so it absorbs energy and heat from the sun. It's a big contributor to Global Warming.

Is there another approach we can take to roadways? This little video raises interesting possibilities. I recommend it. It suggests how newer technologies could be applied to the problem.


2 comments:

Julianne+ said...

Thanks for this video, Bob. As a non-engineer, I am impressed by the ingenuity and commitment of these guys. As I was driving on the Kennedy today and my car's temp gauge registered 102, I was reminded very tangibly of asphalt's downside. It reminded me to have our building's flat black roof repainted with white this summer!

Anonymous said...

Re the video. Won't it be great if this works? I just wonder about the LED lights. They last for about 30 years, right? How will they change all the bulbs? I'm no scientist - is this a silly question?