The Cement Ate My Carbon
By Jamie Henn - Jan 1st, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Scientists in the UK may have found a way to turn cement, a major source of carbon dioxide, into a sponge for greenhouse gas emissions, reported the Guardian yesterday.
It’s a major innovation, but will construction’s holy grail of carbon-sucking cement distract from the need for more basic innovations like efficiency and better urban design?
The cement industry is responsible for nearly 5 percent of the world’s C02 emissions, more than the entire aviation industry. As the go-to building material for much of the world, cement use is predicted to rise dramatically in the coming years.
So, how to turn it green? Traditional cement requires a massive amount of heat to cook and mix raw materials, such as limestone, releasing large amounts of C02 in the process. A greener process would use magnesium silicate, a mineral that not only requires less heating, but can absorb large amounts of C02, as it hardens.
Greener cement can’t green construction on its own, however. According to Architecture 2030, the building sector is responsible for over 48% percent of total global warming emissions in the United States–the figure is likely higher in other parts of the world.
To bring that figure down, we need greener design, not just greener construction. Eco-cement would be a step in the right direction, but only if it’s matched with efficiency, smart urban planning, and a careful look at the actual needs of our built environment.
Perhaps more importantly, could ninja’s still break eco-cement blocks with their bare hands?
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