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We're never going to run out of lime. Ever. It is literally everywhere.

by Baeocystin 9y ago

matthewbauer 9y ago
We're never going to run out of coal either. Doesn't mean we should use it.
- Baeocystin 9y ago
  ? Coal has nothing in common with lime. Lime consumes CO2 from the air as it sets. If produced appropriately, it's carbon neutral.
  - grenoire 9y ago
    That's a very light definition of carbon neutral. All the equipment and energy (for humans and machines) to mine anything costs carbon to bring about.
    - Baeocystin 9y ago
      It's an important point. There is nothing intrinsic about lime that requires carbon release beyond what is naturally released and consumed by the lime cycle itself, which is neutral. Does the world's industry currently run on mostly hydrocarbons that do have a serious carbon footprint? Absolutely, yes. And it is something that needs to be changed. But that is a separate problem.
dragonmum 9y ago
> We're never going to run out of lime. Ever. It is literally everywhere. Not true. Limestone suitable for mining is a limited resource. That's why cement companies like Lafarge pay millions for mining rights in South East Asia. They clear out entire mountain ranges to turn into cement.
- Baeocystin 9y ago
  They will mine wherever they can make the greatest profit. That doesn't mean we will ever run out, or even ever run out of good-quality limestone. It just means that for a variety of reasons (mostly lax taxation laws and a population in poverty that will work for terrible wages) Vietnam is a hotspot for mining in SE Asia, but its total production is a rounding error compared to what is produced in China alone. There is a lot to be discussed about exploiting poorer areas for resource extraction. It's a subject that goes beyond any one particular resource. But (in the case of lime) it also does not imply scarcity. Keep in mind that lime can be regenerated- the lime cycle is an endless loop.

We're never going to run out of lime. Ever. It is literally everywhere.

matthewbauer 9y ago

We're never going to run out of coal either. Doesn't mean we should use it.

Baeocystin 9y ago
? Coal has nothing in common with lime. Lime consumes CO2 from the air as it sets. If produced appropriately, it's carbon neutral.
- grenoire 9y ago
  That's a very light definition of carbon neutral. All the equipment and energy (for humans and machines) to mine anything costs carbon to bring about.
  - Baeocystin 9y ago
    It's an important point. There is nothing intrinsic about lime that requires carbon release beyond what is naturally released and consumed by the lime cycle itself, which is neutral. Does the world's industry currently run on mostly hydrocarbons that do have a serious carbon footprint? Absolutely, yes. And it is something that needs to be changed. But that is a separate problem.

dragonmum 9y ago

> We're never going to run out of lime. Ever. It is literally everywhere. Not true. Limestone suitable for mining is a limited resource. That's why cement companies like Lafarge pay millions for mining rights in South East Asia. They clear out entire mountain ranges to turn into cement.

Baeocystin 9y ago
They will mine wherever they can make the greatest profit. That doesn't mean we will ever run out, or even ever run out of good-quality limestone. It just means that for a variety of reasons (mostly lax taxation laws and a population in poverty that will work for terrible wages) Vietnam is a hotspot for mining in SE Asia, but its total production is a rounding error compared to what is produced in China alone. There is a lot to be discussed about exploiting poorer areas for resource extraction. It's a subject that goes beyond any one particular resource. But (in the case of lime) it also does not imply scarcity. Keep in mind that lime can be regenerated- the lime cycle is an endless loop.