Justice
Los Angeles Bans Heat-Sucking Roofs
From now on, the city's building code will require new residential construction to include "cool roofs" capable of reflecting sunlight.
This highly unscientific aerial sampling of Los Angeles homes illustrates the city's rooftop problem:
Almost all of the homes here have dark-colored roofs covered in asphalt shingles or black tar, material that we now know is bad for both utility bills and the local climate. Dark-colored roofs absorb more sunlight than lighter colored ones do (in the same way that a black T-shirt ensures you'll bake on a summer day). As a result, a roof like this can perceptibly raise temperatures inside a building (driving up the demand for AC in the hot months) while contributing to the urban heat island effect around it.