[hoosierham]

We used to spread power plant cinders on the roads in winter;the sunlight was absorbed by the dark particles,warming them and causing the snow and ice on the road to melt away faster.Also the gritty cinders aided traction .Salt melts the snow so that it can re-freeze overnight even smoother and more dangerous;that is,unless you use a LOT of salt and it is not so cold the chemical reaction stops.

There used to be a number of effective,low tech, inexpensive solutions to many problems....why did they a;ll get put aside?

[orchid]

Cinder use was discontinued in many urban areas because the runoff clogged the storm sewers. Also, the cinders were the resulting material left over from the use of coal for heating, generating electricity, etc. Not much supply today in urban areas.

[FBD]

they use calcium chloride on the roads today, because it’s more effective then salt, less messy, non-polluting, doesn’t break windshields like gravel, and it doesn’t rust out your car.