Indeed, Ireland's Gross National product, which better reflects domestic demand, grew 1.1% during the second quarter - the highest increase in economic productivity in a long time.

Then, they ran two 20-year-long simulations to see how much heat islands contributed to "gross global warming" (warming before cooling factors) - and what impact a lot of white paint might have.

Steve Gross, a global practice leader at consulting firm Mercer LLC, says some executives are eliminating jobs' as a preventive measure 'in anticipation of a long recession.