Why does Figure 7.1.2–2a show cement along with fossil fuels?
Many people are surprised to learn that cement production is a significant contributor to human carbon dioxide emissions, but the figure shows that it’s true. Still, cement is a far smaller contributor than the burning of the fossil fuels coal, oil, and natural gas. Most estimates place cement production as responsible for about 8% of total global carbon dioxide emissions.
Cement contributes carbon dioxide because it is made largely of carbonate rocks (such as limestone), and these rocks contain “trapped” carbon dioxide. When these rocks are heated to make cement, some of their carbon dioxide escapes. Many scientists are currently working to try to make cement in ways that won’t release so much carbon dioxide, so we can hope that cement will become less damaging to the environment in the future.
