In February's issue of Nature, Ican Amato talks about the effects of concrete on greenhouse gas emissions and how changing the recipe could reduce emissions. Portland cement is created through 'baking' limestone and clay and emitting almost a ton for ton amount of carbon dioxide per final product. Roughly 5% of 'man-made' greenhouse-gas emissions are attributed for the creation of portland cement.
One way that the group is looking toward reducing carbon dioxide emissions is through finding a way to lower the temperature at which the cement is 'cooked' and therefore reducing the amount of fuel that is burned. Another idea is trying to adopt a method similar to that used by the ancient Romans who used volcanic ash to make 'cement'.
Amato, Ivan. "Concrete Solutions." Nature 21 Feb. 2013: 300-301. Print.
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