What If We Painted Earth White?

Imagine a white picket fence around a white house, with a white driveway and a white car. And it’s not just your house that’s white. It’s also the road, sidewalks, and every single building. It looks boring and sterile, but it could be the future. And it could help save our world. How much paint would you need? Why would your electricity bill be lower? Why would white paint fight climate change?

Transcript and sources: https://whatifshow.com/what-if-we-painted-earth-white/

Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCphTF9wHwhCt-BzIq-s4V-g/join

Subscribe to our second channel called “How to Survive”: https://bit.ly/how-to-survive-by-what-if

Watch more what-if scenarios:
Planet Earth: http://bit.ly/YT-what-if-Earth
The Cosmos: http://bit.ly/YT-what-if-Cosmos
Technology: http://bit.ly/YT-what-if-Technology
Your Body: http://bit.ly/YT-what-if-Body
Humanity: http://bit.ly/YT-what-if-Humanity

T-shirts and merch: http://bit.ly/whatifstore
Suggest an episode: http://bit.ly/suggest-whatif
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/whatif-newsletter
Feedback and inquiries: https://underknown.com/contact/

What If elsewhere:
Instagram: http://bit.ly/whatif-instagram
Twitter: http://bit.ly/whatif-twitter
Facebook: http://bit.ly/facebook-whatif
What If in Spanish: http://bit.ly/YT-Spanish-what-if
What If in Mandarin: http://bit.ly/YT-Chinese-what-if
Podcast: http://bit.ly/yt-what-if-show-podcast

Thank you to our supporters:
Batman
Kristopher Kirby

What If is a mini-documentary web series that takes you on an epic journey through hypothetical worlds and possibilities. Join us on an imaginary adventure through time, space and chance while we (hopefully) boil down complex subjects in a fun and entertaining way.

Produced with love by Underknown in Toronto: https://underknown.com

#whatif #whatifearth #whiteEarth #paintingtheEarth #whiteEarth

50 Comments

  1. Fernando Velásquez on August 26, 2023 at 10:33 pm

    Actually painting 1% of the earth white would be enough to reverse climate change. Painting the whole planet white (if that were possible), we’d condemn the planet into a horrible ice age



  2. Mikxy. S. on August 26, 2023 at 10:34 pm

    420 years until climate change is irreversible



  3. Proto on August 26, 2023 at 10:36 pm

    Now lets turn everything black steel and metal and then go outside on a hot summer day in Mali while wearing a perfect black 3 feet thick jacket with full black fur all in it



  4. alix4khtarr0 on August 26, 2023 at 10:37 pm

    well me using a jet black iphone 7 plus is not helping me then :/



  5. BlaneFromKP on August 26, 2023 at 10:37 pm

    American liberals would get offended



  6. N1XXX on August 26, 2023 at 10:38 pm

    Why not black



  7. Bruce Kwan on August 26, 2023 at 10:41 pm

    POV:Racists took over the world.



  8. Molly Duke on August 26, 2023 at 10:42 pm

    Why? … Just, just why?



  9. Pro-Vaccinated killing All stupid retard Anti-Vaxx on August 26, 2023 at 10:43 pm

    That why my house is white, white is best



  10. Komodo'sAmbition on August 26, 2023 at 10:45 pm

    Just paint the roof



  11. Vinicius Fernandes on August 26, 2023 at 10:46 pm

    What If It gets dirty



  12. Oois on August 26, 2023 at 10:46 pm

    Rushdie TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT TOVARISHCHfffffff55tTTTTTTTTT5TTTTTTfffffff55tTTTTTTT5TTTTT



  13. alix4khtarr0 on August 26, 2023 at 10:46 pm

    4:39 “Now the downsides of white paint”

    _Aw shit, here we go again 🙄_



  14. Mahawirya Santoso on August 26, 2023 at 10:49 pm

    How about we plant plants on roof? This can help to reduce heat.



  15. Ford Fisher on August 26, 2023 at 10:50 pm

    If we’d painted everything white, we could also mess with local winds (rising and incoming). That could result in way more damaging climate change than expected.



  16. Marko on August 26, 2023 at 10:51 pm

    Racism xD



  17. supersayan on August 26, 2023 at 10:52 pm

    its racist



  18. Kaelyn Jaramillo on August 26, 2023 at 10:52 pm

    Stop climate change



  19. New RED COLOR CHANNEL IN THAILAND on August 26, 2023 at 10:53 pm

    1:03 i Found Thai Clip
    ผมชอบคลิปนี้มาก 🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭



  20. KingPuppy on August 26, 2023 at 10:53 pm

    A creamy planet 💀😭🤨😩



  21. Steve Skepper on August 26, 2023 at 10:53 pm

    Usual climate alarmism. In the Cambrian, the Earth was 10C hotter and 3.2% CO". Life carried on. We had two Snowball earths. Life carried on. we had 5 previous mass Extinctions. Yet we’re here as a consequence. Weve had at least 3 cataclysmic meteor strikes big enough to wipe out the dinosaurs. Yet life persists . The truth of the matter is earth and species adapt. Species come , species go. Ecological niches are created, species evolve to fill them. Itas how Darwinian evolution works. Ecological niches vanish, and so does the species that have evolved to fill them,. Earth doesn’t care about the temperature or the CO2 levels. Life adapts, thats why we still have life on this planet. 10C hotter and 5% CO2 wont make a blind bit of difference to the Earth, life evolves to fit in. You are being scammed.



  22. alix4khtarr0 on August 26, 2023 at 10:55 pm

    the entire world goes caucasian. yeah cool idea



  23. Anti Zoom on August 26, 2023 at 10:56 pm

    Where do you find these movie clips?



  24. Anonymous on August 26, 2023 at 10:56 pm

    Carbon dioxide is a nutrients plants absolutely love it that is a fact and there are more trees on Earth than there are stars in the Milky Way not including bushes and grass or plankton.
    Climate change is BS 🖕🏻



  25. XamposGR XamposGR on August 26, 2023 at 10:56 pm

    Why does the intro of this video remind me of an old song name "i’m blue" by Eiffel 65? XD
    And yes i know that this what if video is somewhat old and i respond a little late. 🙂



  26. Vishal Swaminathan on August 26, 2023 at 10:58 pm

    I still think that’s a good idea.



  27. Midssie on August 26, 2023 at 11:00 pm

    Trees:are you sure about that?



  28. Xisme cwilliams on August 26, 2023 at 11:05 pm

    Quick answer, painting things white reflects heat off the earth… so in reality painting everything White or even just roofs would help a lot.. however it would be very dangerous to fly and you’d need sunglasses all the time.



  29. ranter7100 on August 26, 2023 at 11:08 pm

    Right off the bat there’s a problem….. the extinction of other species is happening now it’s not even waiting for climate change.
    It’s happening because of greed and growth because of economy because of capitalism because of corporate power over govt Because of corruption. And because we will not hold those in power accountable or ourselves.
    Stop using corporations as much as possible, grow as much of your own food as you can.
    buy second hand, Think about the foot print you leave behind.
    Being human has nothing to do with economy, money……Stop being complaint to power.
    Do not accept the digital id the vaccine the pass. And in so doing you become free.
    They are controlling you with fear, find your voice, We have the power not them.



  30. MartDarts on August 26, 2023 at 11:09 pm

    Painting the world white sounds like people deciding the go light mode after reading the entire boble



  31. Mark Promise on August 26, 2023 at 11:10 pm

    I just love this channel for every reason ❤️😊



  32. JACK THE DRAGON O KEEFFE on August 26, 2023 at 11:12 pm

    (Black people) BLACK LIVES MATTER!!!

    (White People) What if we paint the world white?



  33. Kyrie’s World on August 26, 2023 at 11:12 pm

    Paint earth BLUE my favorite color



  34. Stefan Grabe (SG) on August 26, 2023 at 11:15 pm

    Are you saying 0.07 degrees lower compared to 7 degrees higher in 2300 if we don’t paint anything white? 0.07 degrees lower with no context sound ridiculous low.



  35. Lynn on August 26, 2023 at 11:16 pm

    Boring planet and blinding everyone. Car crashes increase…. they’ve been screaming climate change for years. Meanwhile, our sun is actually getting hotter.



  36. Jake Lee on August 26, 2023 at 11:18 pm

    I think the streets and buildings would look really cool all painted white



  37. Ravindra Persaud on August 26, 2023 at 11:19 pm

    Paint colored ppl too 😆(calm down Karens).



  38. Geronimo Lives on August 26, 2023 at 11:20 pm

    It’s not global warming, it’s a cycle. There’s nothing can be done to stop it.



  39. Michael Everett on August 26, 2023 at 11:20 pm

    Rebulicans have been trying for years



  40. Anonymous on August 26, 2023 at 11:21 pm

    Let’s take a drink every time he says climate change 😂🥃



  41. Tank Poe on August 26, 2023 at 11:21 pm

    Well time to paint my house 🏠



  42. JwKillz on August 26, 2023 at 11:22 pm

    I’ll take it -👴🏻



  43. Bad beetle on August 26, 2023 at 11:22 pm

    lime paint your walls it is super cheap and was invented 5000 years ago, see Greece



  44. Michael Everett on August 26, 2023 at 11:23 pm

    I guess the Rolling Stones would have to stop singing that song, then.



  45. ☆Spikes of fury GAMING☆ on August 26, 2023 at 11:26 pm

    uh imagine earth white the white planet it will kinda look like snow earth a snow ball



  46. Fredi The Scrabble Fan 1973 on August 26, 2023 at 11:26 pm

    Obviously, everyone would get blinded by the light.



  47. Ingo Johansson on August 26, 2023 at 11:26 pm

    Based on the title, my question wasn’t "what if" at first place, it was more "WHY?"



  48. ryanaircheese13 on August 26, 2023 at 11:27 pm

    so the trees and the oceans and the human skin?!



  49. SlayeRGoD Gaming on August 26, 2023 at 11:29 pm

    Imagine if a dirt storm hit.



  50. KnokBak on August 26, 2023 at 11:29 pm

    roads reflecting light is always a bad idea