The greenhouse gas emissions from concrete production are hard to cut but a new low-carbon cement facility is scaling up production of a far more sustainable alternative.
Steel factories, like this one in China, are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
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The energy-intensive process of producing cement and concrete contributes significantly to global warming while depleting resources. Much more sustainable alternatives are being developed.
Concrete is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than aviation.
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Cement is responsible for more than 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Its emissions doubled over the past two decades, and demand is still rising fast.
Residents of rural areas depend on social interactions to give directions.
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To cut enough greenhouse gas emissions, the world will need technologies that are still being developed, particularly for industries that are tough to clean up, like cement, steel and shipping.
Bendable concrete created at the University of Michigan allows for thinner structures with less need for steel reinforcement.
Joseph Xu/University of Michigan College of Engineering
Researchers are developing ways to lock captured CO2 into cement. It could help rebuild America’s crumbling infrastructure and deal with climate change at the same time.
The cement needed to make concrete – the most widely used man-made material – is a major source of global emissions. Researchers are working on a green replacement that could transform the sector.
Congrui Jin, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Adding a bit of fungus to the initial ingredient list might be one way to endow concrete with the ability to fill in any bits of damage that occur, without the need for human intervention.
Franco visits Barcelona in 1942. Carlos Pérez de Rozas
Cement has a huge greenhouse footprint, largely because the chemical process by which it is made releases carbon dioxide. But there are several different ways for cement to green up its act.