[Strawbale] bogus comparisons was: Anti Cement Folks

[Stone Tool]

	To look at the total CO2 output of the cement industry, or it's total 
fuel consumption in the context of this discussion is absurd.

	The percentage of CO2 put into the atmosphere by the industry as a 
whole has absolutely NOTHING to do with your environmental footprint at 
all.   What should matter to you is how much results from your 
construction.   And when examining cement based stucco versus lime based 
stucco that difference will prove to be insignificant, and probably will 
favor one or the other depending on your locality.

Here's why:

Both cement and lime require kilning which consumes fossil fuels....... 
cement must be kilned at a higher temperature thus using more fuel and 
releasing more CO2.

Cement and Lime are both lime based products, and the lime must be 
calcined which releases CO2 into the atmosphere as the lime is converted 
from calcium carbonate to calcium hydroxide.    In this case lime 
produces more because cement is composed of only 75% lime

Cement is produced locally in virtually every part of the world

Lime as would be used in stucco is produced only in a relatively few 
plants as compared to cement

This means that cement does not require much shipping, and in many cases 
lime must be shipped many hundreds of miles to get to your building site.

........ So what's the net???  ..........  The net is the true 
environmental cost of one in comparison to the other.

Do you give a damn about the truth? or just want to attack your favorite 
whipping boy.... (the cement industry)...... Kind of reminiscent of when 
it was cool just a couple of years ago to attack "liberals"..... here 
the boogie man is the cement industry and anybody who uses cement.

	One can't help but chuckle thinking of someone driving down the freeway 
amongst 4 million other cars in his town cussing the big cement industry 
and all the energy they waste and CO2 they produce....... bitching about 
the tall stacks of the local coal fired generating plant while the 
electricity flows down the lines keeping his home comfortable, his 
refrigerator humming, the water flowing, and the lights on........ 
Shaking his fist at the semi that's burning horrendous amounts of fuel 
every day....... (about 6 miles per gallon) compared to his 30 mpg 
car....... and carrying a mere 50,000 lb payload on that 6 mpg compared 
to his 220 pound payload on 30 mpg..........( 300,000 pound miles per 
gallon compared to 6600 pound miles per gallon...... WHAT A WASTE OF 
FUEL!!!) (NOTE THAT THE TRUCK IS 45 TIMES AS EFFICIENT AS THE CAR) 
Looking distastefully at the towers and stacks of the refinery and 
wrinkling his nose in disgust at the sulfurous smell emitted...... 
shortly before he pulls off the interstate and fills up at the local gas 
station.

	Let's get back to reality land.......... Think about those things a 
bit.........  It is stupid to just jump on your hobby horse and flog the 
cement industry or some other industry without giving matters any real 
thought.   Let's remember that so called "embodied energy" is a huge 
part of the cost of most products we buy.   If it takes more energy to 
produce and deliver, it will cost more........ that's pretty 
simple......      Hey...... did anybody ever think of that???   Next 
time you at the local Home Depot and there is a bag of cement and a bag 
of quicklime........ look at the price......... it just may reflect the 
total embodied energy pretty well.

	Shut off  you AC and your lights and refrigerator..... and computer. 
Park your car, buy only foods and products that are locally produced 
without chemical fertilizer, hand cultivated and hand irrigated by 
flooding from hand dug ditches................   Put your own house in 
order in other words before throwing rocks at someone else.

				H.W.

Michel Wingard wrote:
> I would like to see some statistics to show that
> cement is not one of the single largest producers of
> greenhouse gases.
>  I for one have followed the findings of such
> disreputable groups on the matter such as the Union of
> Concerned Scientist
> http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/ and was saddened
> to see
> http://cementamericas.com/mag/cement_senate_rejects_anticement/
> As we all know Sen McCain is a crazed
> envirenmentalist.
> Here is more on the issue
> http://gcisolutions.com/GCINOTES198.htm
> http://www.livescience.com/environment/070129_clean_concrete.html
>  
> Silence is indefensible
> 
> Peace, Michel
> www.2dogdesign.net
> 
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