Re: GSBN:carbon sequestering

[Ecobruce@...]

In a message dated 11/20/00 9:29:46 AM, bainbrid@...
(David Bainbridge) writes:

>Has anyone made a serious effort to calculate potential carbon 
>sequestration in straw bale buildings?  This should include an offset 
>if cement plasters are used --high energy demand.


I share David's curiosity about this.  But the offset from cement plasters is 
itself offset by the long-term carbonation of concreteTo what extent, 
however, we don't know.

(Concrete, and cement plasters, and all cement-based constructions, capture 
atmospheric carbon in the outer (exposed) inch or two of any surface over a 
period of years.  This reaction is well known, and though some of the 
ecologically-minded concrete guys I know have thought about this, no one to 
my knowledge has tried to calculate how much carbon all the concrete in the 
world has soaked up.  But it's a bunch, you bet.  Almost surely nowhere near 
enough to make up for all the CO2 that was released in its manufacture, but 
still, a bunch.)

 Bruce King
a bunch of near enough engineer