Summer is on its way and with it comes those brutally hot July afternoons. Want to make a difference in decreasing New York’s urban heat island effect? All it takes is a little white paint. More and more research is showing the positive environmental effects of white roofs, especially in New York City. Miller-McCune reports that painting urban rooftops white is one of the fastest, easiest, and most cost-efficient methods for offsetting carbon emissions in cities and simply by painting urban surfaces white or a light color, “the carbon emissions of all 600 million of the world’s cars could be off-set for 18 to 20 years — at a savings equivalent to at least $1 trillion worth of CO2 reductions.” Luckily, this seems to be catching on (even with the president). To get involved, you can check out the NYC Cool Roofs initiative or the White Roof Project to make a real–and easy–difference. (Image via Inhabitat)