Concrete's Hidden Cost: The Environmental Impact We Can't Afford to Ignore
Concrete is the second most widely used substance on Earth, but its environmental toll demands urgent attention and sustainable solutions for a future our kids can live comfortably in.
“After water, concrete is the most widely used substance on Earth. If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest carbon dioxide emitter in the world with up to 2.8bn tonnes, surpassed only by China and the US.” Reported Jonathan Watts, a journalist for the Guardian. (1)
I’ve heard in the past that concrete is bad for the environment, but I never really took the time to understand why. Until I recently read that “A key ingredient of cement is clinker, which is produced by heating limestone with other materials such as clay and shale, a process that releases large volumes of C02, which makes cement responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions.” as reported by the UKGBC (The UK Green Building Council) (2)
8% …?!
The aviation industry contributes roughly 2.5% of emissions. If this is the case, then why the heck isn’t concrete getting more of the public heat on the industries emissions plans? (3)
On top of all this, concrete is also a highly water-intensive material, accounting for nearly 10% of global industrial water usage. This significant demand often puts pressure on water resources needed for drinking and irrigation, especially since 75% of this consumption occurs in regions already experiencing drought and water scarcity. (4)
And on top of the top of all this, concrete (and other construction materials like asphalt) also contributes to the urban heat-island effect by absorbing as much as 95% of the sun's energy, which is then radiated back into the surrounding atmosphere, making our cities and urban areas hotter than surrounding areas with natural greenery in place. (5)
I could unfortunately keep going with the hazardous side affects of the concrete industry, including lowering air qualities in cities as well as the surrounding areas of quarries and concrete production sites. But a debatably more concerning issue is the enormous amounts of global sand mining that goes on in order to supply us with our concrete jungles.
In fact, a ban on beach extraction was reported necessary to prevent a "sand crisis," according to UNEP's Sand and Sustainability report (7). While the marine dredging industry is also extracting about 6 billion tonnes of marine sand annually, which is "significantly impacting biodiversity and coastal communities," as highlighted by UNEP's data platform, Marine Sand Watch (8)
I admit, I don’t know how much of the 50 billion tonnes of sand goes directly to the concrete industry, but I would wager a guess it’s a significant amount considering concrete is the most widely used substance on Earth, after water.
But as an everyday person, what can we do about this? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure, aside from the usual actions like sending letters and voicing your concerns to those in positions of power. What I do know is that if you have influence over children, youth, or even university students, it's crucial to continually reframe their understanding of what truly matters—our planet.
What type of conditions do you want your kids to live in? A future that could get dustier, darker and dryer? Or a future that advocates for resources that afford a more comfortable life? I know I’d prefer the latter for my kids.
I believe it is our responsibility to guide the minds of those entering the workforce now and in the near future, ensuring they do so with the best intentions and ideas for our planet's future.
1 - https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/25/concrete-the-most-destructive-material-on-earth
2 - https://ukgbc.org/our-work/topics/embodied-ecological-impacts/cement/
3 - https://ourworldindata.org/global-aviation-emissions
4 - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-017-0009-5.epdf?
5 - https://www.reuters.com/graphics/CLIMATE-CHANGE/URBAN-HEAT/zgpormdkevd/
The last thing we need is more cost in buildings and constraints like this suggested always add cost.
Next our contribution to the global use of cement is small so unless it is adopted globally its just not going to help… unless of course you just want virtue signaling rights?
And lastly all this is based on the assumption that the outgassing from the overall cement process is harmful to the environment and science is mixed on this.
Many now believe that any effort at NetZero is unnecessary, technologically unattainable, economically unviable and extremely foolish.
We have far more important issues in our western nations to prioritize.