Understanding that ambitions for expansion, creativity and achievement are elemental to our human nature, the current dilemma is how to make our material lifestyle sustainable in light of expanding population and the adverse effects of material production. The demands for aluminum, steel, plastic, concrete, and paper have a projected growth of up to 200% through 2050. These materials are responsible for high carbon emissions making a substantial contribution to climate change.
This concrete form of human scale is representative of the growth of megacities, especially in Asia - the greatest consumer of concrete during this period of expansion. For every one of the 7 billion people on Earth, an estimated 948 pounds of concrete is produced with an emissions intensity of 0.8 pounds carbon dioxide per pound of concrete.
