White roofs have worked for thousands of years in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cities. (Photo: www.obviousmag.org in Architecture)

Progress report from ian Montangees – Founder of the NZ White Roofs Project

I am preparing to begin Stage 2 of the project to start towards the end of September, which will get much more serious, directly approaching and giving presentations to businesses, councils, and other organisations, not just homeowners, about playing a role in this global warming solution.

I intend to start slowly so as to not overload my time, and build up from there with a two-pronged approach. Firstly, of building credibility step by step by having groups and businesses endorse the idea, starting with the easier ones and working off their endorsement to the bigger ones until there are mainstream businesses endorsing it and also some city councils.

I’ll go to the media once some momentum has been built up. At the same time, out of the many contacts that will be made my wish is that there will be funding developed to allow me more time to work on this project, so that I can spend more time on this project instead of needing to earn money doing other things, as I wish this to be my primary focus over the next year or two, as long as it takes to reach stage 3 where the idea becomes integrated into local and national administrations who then propagate it.

So far I have funded this project through my own funds (except for two donations that were much appreciated) and my time, a service as my way of making a contribution to the betterment of the greater good while also it being personally satisfying for me to do. It’s a matter of going forward with a good plan and seeing what happens.

We welcome collaboration and opportunities to spread the word, and welcome initiatives that lead to donations or funding towards the sustainability of implementing stage 2. If you have suggestions on groups or businesses (perhaps your own) that can play a role by endorsing the project or the white roofs idea, this would be very useful especially in these early stages. I am happy to come and give presentations either one-to-one or to large audiences, to help spread this idea.

If you wish to communicate the white roofs idea to people, it helps them “get it” if you mention three things in your opening statement, otherwise there is often an initial silence while people are thinking the idea sounds “crazy”. If they hear these three points they usually realise it’s a seriously good idea and like it.

(1) White roofs is a fast and low-cost way of helping reduce global warming

(2) It works by mimicking the way the polar icecaps cool the planet by reflecting sunlight back into space

(3) It’s being taken seriously and implemented by the Obama Administration

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