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One thing I think about is concrete is a major consumer of energy and contributes a large amount of CO2, something like 8% of the global emission. Whereas wood
by MisterTea 2y ago
One thing I think about is concrete is a major consumer of energy and contributes a large amount of CO2, something like 8% of the global emission. Whereas wood literally grows on trees while sequestrating said carbon. I realize that there re efforts to make concrete carbon neutral but until that happens building with concrete is not environmentally friendly.
- 9dev 2y agoAdding to that, concrete buildings rely on a lot of steel, which is another major emissions driver, and production of both also leave a lot of toxic waste behind. Construction should try to use both sustainable materials wherever feasible, and strongly favour refurnishing existing houses over new buildings.
- readthenotes1 2y agoBut if you live in a tinderbox like California, that will only get worse from climate change, how long will that sequestration actually last? How much carbon will be emitted rebuilding and replacing?
- MisterTea 2y agoThose people need to be housed either way so that energy is already spent. The path forward for Californians or any one in fire prone areas is to practice realistic fire-resistant home building and landscaping. Many of these techniques developed do not require concrete. That or these areas will have to be no-build zones.