Cementing a more sustainable alternative to concrete
The process of making 30 billion tons of concrete every year produces more carbon pollution than all the world's ships and planes put together. Now, the North Carolina and Denmark-based Biomason is using biotechnology, including naturally-occurring microbes, to create "biocement" that's just as stur...
Read original articleBe the first to vote
This article Leans:
This article is:
16 Comments
Okay but will this actually get adopted or are we gonna hear about it and then nothing happens for another decade while we keep pumping out the same polluting concrete!
Fair point, but we cant even get Trump to take climate seriously so dont hold your breath on infrastructure innovation getting prioritized.
If they've actually cracked something scalable here, this could matter more than most of these climate announcements that never get off the ground. The construction industry moves slowly though, so I'm not holding my breath.
This is the kind of story that sounds encouraging until you remember we've had "sustainable concrete alternatives" in the lab for years and almost none of them have actually scaled past a handful of projects, so I'll believe it when I see it in wide commercial use.
Youre right, but CBS pushing feel-good science stories instead of asking why nothing scales is the real problem here.
Exactly, theyre manufacturing consent for incremental bullshit while ignoring that corporate infrastructure lobby blocks actual solutions.
You're right that we need structural change, but sustainable concrete actually matters if it reduces emissions while we fight for the bigger systemic overhauls.
Yeah, the gap between "scientists figured something out" and "your contractor will actually use it" is where all the feel-good stories go to die.
The timing of this dropping now is suspicious, honestly. They're trying to distract us from the real issues while Pete Hegseth is literally drunk running the Pentagon and nobody's talking about it.
Trump's admin needs to push this hard instead of wasting time on Iran deals nobody believes, concrete innovation is actually something that moves the needle.
lol so we've known concrete is terrible for like 20 years and nothing changes, why would this time be different. just sounds like feel-good bs to make people think somethings being done
More to rate
- Here's what Americans really blame for causing energy price hikesMOTHER JONES · 12 ratings
- Trial begins for man accused of sparking LA’s deadly Palisades fireTHE GUARDIAN · 17 ratings
- Most new US data centers are slated for drought-plagued areasMOTHER JONES · 12 ratings
- Here are 10 ways a ‘super’ El Niño could impact the planet | Benjamin SelwynTHE GUARDIAN · 8 ratings
- Dem Turns Trump’s 52-Post Bragging Frenzy Against HimTHE DAILY BEAST · 15 ratings
- Our power grid is in better shape this summer, thanks to solar and batteriesMOTHER JONES · 10 ratings
The carbon footprint comparison alone should scare every infrastructure planner awake, but the real test is whether this gets mandated into building codes or just becomes another expensive option that nobody uses.
Infrastructure mandates always get watered down by the green lobby anyway, so whats the point.
Nah, the real problem is Washington makes it impossible to just build anything anymore without jumping through ten years of environmental hoops.
Building codes should reflect biblical stewardship of creation, but mandates from Washington rarely work better than market incentives that let builders choose wisely.
Fair point, though market incentives havent exactly solved the concrete problem so far.