While some still try to deny that our climate is changing, others have to deal with it already. The residents of Los Angeles are among them, and now they’re looking for some ‘outside the box’ ideas to fight the unbearable heat.

To combat temperatures that reach 130 -140 degrees on the road’s surface, the city of Los Angeles has started a pilot project to test out the “cool pavement.” 15 streets were covered with this asphalt-based paint-like substance to cool down the streets by about 11-13 degrees Fahrenheit and therefore cools down the buildings around them.

It might not seem like a lot, but according to the report by Environmental Protection Agency, if 35% of LA’s streets were covered with a reflective surface like this, it would translate into a 1-degree drop in temperature throughout the city, which means around $100 million per year in energy savings.

A truly awesome idea, and that’s not even mentioning how cool it looks!

More info: twitter (h/t: curbed)