I’m sure this is just a really stupid question based on multiple misunderstandings, but what if global warming was literally just the result of more dark-colored buildings and structures such as blacktop roads? Are we making the earth absorb more sunrays, and therefore increasing the heat energy within the atmosphere?
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Kind of? A small fraction of it is attributable, but what you’re thinking of is the albedo of a certain surface. High albedo = more light reflected (whiter in color) and low albedo = less light reflected (blacker in color). Building materials such as asphalt have lower albedo values, which can lead to the formation of “heat islands,” which are relatively concentrated areas of darker colored materials that absorb a disproportionate amount of heat. Unfortunately, oftentimes you will find such “heat islands” concentrated around redlined communities, especially in the US or Canada. As bacon12345 has said though, the majority of energy from the sun doesn’t hit land – the sea is dark enough and large enough to be much more of a contributer to global warming.
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