RE: [papercreters] Re: 26lbs of CO2 per bag of Portland

We have hashed through this over and over again on the PSB (practical Strawbale) group as well as other Strawbale sites.  In the SB community it is a debate over Portland based stuccos verses earth or lime based stuccos. There are those in the green community that are targeting Portland as the devil.  Most of them will never be convinced to believe otherwise.  The counter argument is that although Portland is used it is less than 10% of the mix.  The time/ labor savings and the durability of the finished product balance out the other two comparables over the life cycle of the stucco.

 

For myself a well built home that will seriously outlast and out perform a standard stick built home is a far greener thing.  If I can get a bit greener by using a successful lime based or earth based or even Portland minimized recipe for PC so much the better.  But that is my goal and I believe someone building a well built Portland based PC structure has built a far greener building than the average Joe.  It is all a question of degree.

 

Nick

 

---

From: papercreters@yahoogroups.com [mailto:papercreters@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Ernie Phelps
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 11:53 AM
To: papercreters@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [papercreters] Re: 26lbs of CO2 per bag of Portland

 

--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, Mikey Sklar <sklarm-yahoo@...>
wrote:
>
>
> I have been tormented by a few local adobe and straw bale builders
> for my use of Portland cement. They point out to me that by using
> a high energy product that I am destructive to the environment. I
> had my doubts and decided to run some numbers this evening about
> just how much CO2 was being produced to create a bag of portland.
> The answer I came to was less than 26lbs of CO2 per 94lb bag of
> portland. I suppose I can now point out to the so called green
> builders who are hauling straw bales or pre made adobes from across
> state boarders that their CO2 footprint is orders of magnitude larger
> than my own.

Okay, you had to get me googling, didn't you???

http://www.us-concrete.com/news/features.html

Okay, so your numbers vary from their, but as SG pointed out, they
count the outgassing of the limestone, the vehicles used in the
distribution, electricity, etc. So by their figures a 94lb bag of
portland produces / releases about 94 lbs of CO2.

I would like to get more info and see how this really compares to
other materials like stick frame and consider the off-set that is
provided by the long term reduced energy use due to higher insulative
values in PC. Harder to determine would be life-span of material,
reduction of CO2 impact from house fires (release and extenguishing
related), etc.

- E

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