Today’s Washington Post Has a piece on Secretary Chu’s plan to paint U.S. home white to stop global warming (earlier Planet Gore coverage here and here). The Post does a decent job explaining why this idea has problems . . . like snow blindness:

To get all the benefits of a white roof, plain old white paint will not do. Instead, the roofs should be covered in a reflective coating, or a specially made membrane (Details about cool-roof products approved by the Environmental Protection Agency can be found at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roof_prods.pr_roof_products).
The result: White roofs are not always more expensive than dark ones. But they can be a lot harder on the eyes.
“It’s like being in Antarctica or the North Pole or something. I mean, you need to wear sunglasses,” said Albert Nuñez, vice president of Capital Sun Group, an installer based in Cabin John. When he pitches it to customers who have a slope-roofed house in the suburbs, “The wife looks at it and says, ‘No, I couldn’t do that to Sally next door,’ ” Nuñez said.

Well, since most Obama supporters are already “blinded by the light,” this plan should fit nicely.