Posted on 12/17/2018 1:10:07 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Concrete is the most widely used man-made material in existence. It is second only to water as the most-consumed resource on the planet.
But, while cement - the key ingredient in concrete - has shaped much of our built environment, it also has a massive carbon footprint.
Cement is the source of about 8% of the world's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to think tank Chatham House.
If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world - behind China and the US. It contributes more CO2 than aviation fuel (2.5%) and is not far behind the global agriculture business (12%).
So, how did our love of concrete end up endangering the planet? And what can we do about it?
A mix of sand and gravel, a cement binder and water, concrete is so widely embraced by architects, developers and builders because it is a remarkably good construction material.
"It's affordable, you can produce it almost anywhere and it has all the right structural qualities that you want to build with for a durable building or for infrastructure," explains Felix Preston.
It is the process of making "clinker" - the key constituent of cement - that emits the largest amount of CO2 in cement-making.
What the industry really needs to do is plough efforts into producing new types of cement, he argues. In fact, low-carbon cements and "novel cements" might do away with the need for clinker altogether.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Ban civilization.
That’s what its really all about.
What it’s saying is that it hates our modern industrialized society. Rip up all the roads. Stop using petroleum and coal. In other words, go back to the stone age.
Correction: our addiction to concrete. Get with the program.
We should go back to using mud. Or wattle and daub. Maybe just twigs and straw for building and gravel for roads.
I don’t give a flying rip about Climate Change, CO2 or Mankind in general at this point.
Six months ago a similar article came out with some new cement made of...get this...plastic.
Since cement can be made of natural materials that are locally mined nearly everywhere in the world, how much sense does it make to manufacture, transport and process some other material in one or two central locations?
Oh yea, none.
All to "fix" a non-existant, liberal fever-dream problem.
If liberals became extinct, the climate change problem would be solved.
mud, straw and a goat manure binder.
Perfect.
Mankind is ok. It’s Personkind that really bugs me. As well as liberal panties-in-a-wad liberals.
“the climate change problem would be solved”
How do you solve a problem that doesn’t exist?
Rephrase: “If liberals becomes extinct, hysteria over all made-up phony problems would end.”
So you’re saying instead of paving my driveway with asphalt, I should have used concrete? I didn’t know, sorry.
Oooh! Bookmark for later
“It is second only to water as the most-consumed resource on the planet. “
I say BS.
No, climate would still change, regardless of who is here and who is not here.
Climate changed before we were here, climate will change after we are gone.
If no living thing was present on this rock, climate would change.
I’m not particularly impressed with the species anymore.
Start with neighborhoods. Repave everything, however use material that can act like solar panels to collect the suns rays. Use that energy to power the neighborhood.
“Clinker”!
Sorry gotta have a concrete drive. Never have favored the look of an asphalt driveway. Plus need to be resealed intermittently.
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