Chinese and German scientists have calculated that replacing concrete and metal with wood during construction will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The article about it was published In Nature Communication.
Cement is produced by firing raw materials in clinker kilns. At the same time, many carbon dioxide, toxic gases and other environmentally harmful substances are released into the atmosphere. Characteristically, the volume of these emissions is comparable to the amount of cement produced, and thus the construction industry is a major contributor to anthropogenic global warming – around 10%.
Scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research and their Chinese colleagues decided to simulate how profitable it would be to abandon concrete and metal in the construction of buildings up to 12 floors high. Calculations showed that for the implementation of these plans, about 140 million hectares of forest should be planted. According to scientists, such new forest plantations are quite feasible in practice. According to the authors, they will not affect the farmland used to grow crops today.
The transition from wood to the construction of houses and buildings will enable humanity to reduce emissions associated with cement and steel production by around 100 billion tons by 2100, comparable to the total amount of CO2 emissions in a few years. Thus, the implementation of these measures will facilitate the implementation of the Paris climate agreements and limit global warming to 1-2 degrees in the 21st century.
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