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 ...
Cows should be relieved they aren’t the bad guys anymore.
The termites eat out the wattle within a few years. Termites are one of the major sources of 'greenhouse gases' with their emission of methane.
Don't you understand?
We're DOOMED!
/S
I spent many a summer's day with shovel and wheelbarrow in the clinker room at the ol' cement plant!
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