US: Paint world white to save energy

LONDON - U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu wants to paint the town white.

At a climate change symposium in London, Chu said that painting roofs white would be part of a "new revolution" to cut greenhouse gases, according to AFP.

The white paint would keep buildings cooler, reduce people's use of air conditioning and reflect sunlight away from the Earth.

Chu argued that making roads and roofs a paler shade around the world would have the equivalent of taking every car off the road for 11 years.

"We have to go to a different new revolution that can severely decrease the amount of carbon emissions in the generation of energy," Chu said.

Last week the British Department of Health recommended that homes be painted white, carpets be ripped up and metal blinds taken down to keep rooms cool on warm days.

Other homes around the world -- including those in Bermuda and Greece -- are also painted white to beat the heat and save energy