Jasper Donnelly
Over the past few years, evidence of climate change around the world has become increasingly clear. An example that is applicable to Gunn students is the recent extreme weather in the Bay Area. In fact, the entire state of California has weathered a number of atmospheric river events within the past few months. NASA’s definition of an atmospheric river is a “vast airborne corridor of water vapor flowing from Earth’s tropics toward higher latitudes.” Although atmospheric rivers have existed for a long time, they are projected to get worse in the coming years as a result of climate change.
A study conducted by a University of California, San Diego research team corroborates this conclusion, noting how “atmospheric rivers are already boosted by the changing climate.” As warming continues, the research team expects “a shrinking wet season but increasing rainfall from more potent atmospheric rivers.” Furthermore, both the NASA and UCSD research teams advise state governments— particularly those in the west coast, as they are uniquely affected by atmospheric rivers—to take action regarding climate change to prevent further extreme weather.
One of the biggest contributors to climate change is greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. When examining carbon dioxide emissions, many turn to transportation as the main culprit. After all, airplanes, trucks and cars—which are mostly powered by fossil fuels—are very visible and used frequently. A 2020 report from the International Energy Agency, however, showed that while aviation accounts for about 2.8% of total global carbon dioxide emissions, concrete manufacturing accounts for at least 8% of total global emissions, as concrete is the second most-used resource globally after water. Despite the widespread inattention to this industry, these statistics demonstrate just how large the threat that concrete manufacturing poses to the planet.
CONCRETE MANUFACTURING ACCOUNTS FOR AT LEAST 8% OF TOTAL GLOBAL EMISSIONS, AS CONCRETE IS THE SECOND-MOST USED RESOURCE GLOBALLY.
Luckily, a few researchers are paying attention to this process. A company called CarbonCure—a relatively new company in the industry—has created a technology that is able to capture the CO2 that is formed during the concrete-production process and reinject it back into the concrete. From there, it reacts with calcium ions from cement to form a mineral, calcium carbonate, which becomes embedded in the concrete and trapped forever. Even if the concrete is later demolished, the carbon dioxide will never be released back into the atmosphere.
While revolutionary for the climate, another advantage of this technology is that it appeals to those hesitant to greener solutions due to their sometimes higher cost. CarbonCure technology can easily be retrofitted into existing facilities, and it also increases compressive strength, meaning that the concrete needs to be replaced less often.
As climate change worsens, it is important to implement pragmatic solutions and technologies such as CarbonCure.
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