Lettuce All Shine On

Shiny plants will save the climate, say researchers

Posted at 9:17 AM on 09 Jan 2008

You thought fighting climate change was going to be hard? Pssh -- all we gotta do is plant some peppers and we'll be home free. OK, it might not be that easy, but California scientists say they've hit on an unusual climate-change solution: shiny plants. Encouraging farmers to plant foliage that reflects the sun's heat back into space could reduce maximum daytime temperatures in agricultural regions by as much as 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit, claim researchers, who say their idea will be published in an academic journal later this year. At which point, no doubt, the shiny-plant subsidies will begin to roll in.

source:  The Guardian
see also, in Grist:  Umbra reflects on albedo and geoengineering