Archive for January 10th, 2013

The construction industry is struggling to find a green alternative to cement. Credit: Tino Morchel.

There are few things as impactful to the modern world as concrete. Usage of different types of cement and concrete predates the Roman Empire. Roads, buildings, bridges and more would not be possible as we know it without concrete. Modern civilization as we know cannot exist without it.

However, there are few things in the world with as much negative environmental impact. For starters, nearly all applications of concrete deliberately disrupt the environment — namely, in roads and buildings that require the destruction of trees, grass and natural habitats. Even if we disregarded this fact, the production of cement is still one of the single highest sources of CO₂ in the world. It is often estimated that 5 percent of the global CO₂ production comes from the manufacture of cement. Read the rest of this entry »