8. Sunlight reflection

I love summers in the Pacific Northwest. We have cool, dry summers-subtropical like the Mediterranean. As Northwest summer approaches, no more gloomy wet weather, the sunny days and blue-sky increases. And the bellies of my Yorkshire Terriers get tan. Yes, belly not back. It sounds odd. But reflected sunlight from concrete roads (park trails) makes their belly tan. Their bellies are shaved, and close to the road surface.

Solar radiation heats our earth. Half of the sunlight reflects directly back to space or is absorbed into the atmosphere. The other half reaches the surface. Some of the surface heat energy also goes back out to space, balancing temperature and supporting life. Cities have higher temperatures from buildings and paved roads. This is known as the urban heat island.

Soil temperature is not raised much by the sun, and the shade from trees is almost the same as the air temperature. In contrast, concrete road temperatures can reach 120 °F (asphalt is even higher). The temperature rises rapidly when the sun hits a road surface, then drops very slowly after sundown. And 25% of UV radiation reflects from concrete, and maximum exposure is between 10 am - 4 pm. (Sun Safety) So, it is recommended to take our dogs for walks during other times of day to avoid these conditions.

The solution of global warming or an urban heat island could be to reflect the incoming sunlight back to space. There was an idea about painting roofs white and paved roads light-color. However I haven't seen many white roofs around my area, it may not be a popular thing to do. Although, if a white painted roof could save the world, we may have some work to do.

There are many products that reflect sunlight which lowers roof surface temperature. One of these products is Gaina. It reflects solar radiation by 90% and reflects infrared by 95% of observed heat, combined with other thermal insulating abilities, this makes Gaina an excellent option. We want to reduce electric bills as well as help reduce global warming. Much like a space suit. It shields radiation as well as insulates to keep the inside comfortable against hot and cold harsh conditions. The principle of universality has no magic solution to work alone. Likewise, Gaina has a variety of effects to save energy and money.

Well, summer ends, cloudy days come back. My small dogs' belly-tans fade. I also have a big dog, a Golden Retriever. Her belly doesn't seem to get as tan. Maybe her belly hair works as sun block. Anyway, I don't mind the gloomy weather season. Clouds seem to work as thermal insulation like blankets to prevent heat loss. So we don't have many freezing days. The dogs can enjoy walking year-round. Every year, when my doggy's belly turns back to its original pinkish white soft color, I know it's the coming of autumn.