Lorna Filippini-Mulliken

 
 
 
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CONCRETE Concrete is the third largest contributor of CO2 pollution after fossil fuels and deforestation. According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, “Concrete is the most widely used material on earth apart from water, with nearly three tons used annually for each man, woman, and child.” Recently upset having been made aware of these two facts, I found myself searching for my 3 tons. I claim mine in the streets I drive, cross and walk upon. We enhance our roads with colorful paths and surfaces color-coding our behavior. We appoint them with signage granting the power to direct our movement. These paths of stable, solid concrete are constantly deteriorated by water, temperature and use. The resulting cracks and pits appear as sacred scarification or an ancient script written along the miles of road stretched before us. We deny the material’s discord with a patchwork of repairs. We reposition disintegrating directionals whose shadows still recall other paths. We “cement relationships” we solidify ideals by “setting in concrete”. New, initially more expensive, formulation methods could reverse concrete’s environmental impact. We need to rethink our use of materials that lead us down paths of unknown consequence.