The need to address climate change grows more urgent by the day. We must prioritize the use of climate-friendly and sustainable structural materials. Everything we do impacts the planet. And it falls to us all to reduce carbon emissions and make products and production as sustainable as possible. Take a few moments to learn how another building material is impacting planet Earth.
Many companies in Europe use wood pellets for power. It’s a growing industry powered by American forests. The EU categorizes burning wood pellets as renewable energy, but critics say the process is far from green.
- Producers of wood pellets say the process is renewable because trees grow back and the carbon produced by burning wood is absorbed by other trees.
- Critics say the demand is far outpacing reforestation. An estimated 6 million acres of American forest are managed and harvested each year via clear-cutting.
- Researchers at MIT determined that wood burns dirtier than coal. They also found it takes 44 years for replanted trees to absorb the carbon released from burning the ones they replaced.
Much of the lumber is sourced from private landowners who can profit from selling the trees on their property right here in North Carolina and Virginia.
The wood industry clear cuts millions of acres of forest each year to supply paper, building material, and more. Wood pellet production only intensifies the damage, impoverishing our planet of valuable defense against climate change.
Putting Our Planet First with Concrete Masonry
The masonry industry provides a more sustainable, green, efficient, and cost-effective building material. It withstands the harshest conditions, offering excellent resistance to fire, mold, termites, rot, and extreme storms. We care about our planet. We care how our production facilities impact the local environment. SCMA and its members take seriously that “Plant Earth” is our home and is the source for all the things to survive. That’s why the masonry industry has taken steps to lower our carbon footprint across the United States.
You are blessed with the ability to make choices. Choices that impact our environment. Choices that impact our communities. When you choose to build with concrete masonry, you’re choosing sustainability. It’s the only building material that puts the environment first before profits. For all future building projects, stop and think how your building material will impact the environment. Choose wisely. Choose Concrete Masonry.