Concrete, the second most-used substance on earth after water (!), is also one of the chief sources of CO2 emissions - and this startup has a new zero-emission approach to producing cement that could fully decarbonize the industry. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/17/this-startup-ceo-claims-he-can-completely-decarbonize-the-cement-industry.html
Mmmmmm. CNBC needs better editors. I'll buy it's the most used *construction material* - but the most used commodities today are coal, iron ore, and wheat, in terms of bulk amounts shipped.
Irrelevant, unless you want to explain why the very ground beneath your feet isn't also included in "most used substances" along with the air you breathe.
Concrete is very heavily used *in construction* - but the article neglects that qualifier. Unless you live on top of a cement plant, the concrete (as cement and aggregate, or as mixed slurry) is absolutely delivered to you. Add that all up, and we still transport more coal. (By weight or volume? Not sure.)
Also, from the article:
"Minor bulks include steel products, sugars, cement, and cover the remaining one-third of global dry bulk trade."
Note also that concrete-quality *sand* is becoming a rare commodity. There are *sand pirates* who come in under the cover of darkness and illegally dredge up and steal "the good sand". Which is fascinating.
@Biggles “Sand Pirates” sounds like an enjoyably cheesy 80s-era B movie sci-fi adventure
It's a real problem - people get killed for it. There's collateral damage - ships running no lights on a busy river in the dark of night are a hazard to other shipping.
Turns out the sand needed for construction is fairly rare at this point.
@Biggles concrete isn’t bulk shipped, that’s an apples and oranges comparison.