Cleaning Up Concrete

Chances are you've heard about the environmental impacts of plastics and how air travel contributes to climate change, but did you know that there's a man-made substance that contributes more than double the emissions of the aviation industry? It's estimated that up to 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions is from the concrete industry--and this is mainly due to the production of cement, an essential ingredient in concrete. Sara and Casey discuss what needs to be done to clean up concrete on this 100th episode of A Little Greener!

Resources for this episode:

The Big Fix: Seven Practical Steps to Save Our Planet by Hal Harvey and Justin Gillis

Cement vs. Concrete: A Case of Mistaken Identities

Explained: Cement vs. concrete — their differences, and opportunities for sustainability | MIT News

Concrete: the most destructive material on Earth | Cities | The Guardian

MIT Researchers Develop New Additives For "Green" Concrete - CleanTechnica

PPE Waste Makes Stronger, More Flexible, Green Concrete

Heat Island Compendium | US EPA

Want To Build A Carbon Neutral Skyscraper? Easy: Just Don't Use Cement. Good Luck With That | Digg

Materials scientist working to revolutionize concrete and radically reduce CO2 emissions

Countering climate change with cool pavements | MIT News

Effects of pavement texture and colour on Urban Heat Islands: An experimental study in tropical climate - ScienceDirect