![]() ![]() We'll travel to two communities-one in the midwestern United States and one in northern Sweden-to meet people whose future is bound up with the fate of this industry people who live in places that have been defined by iron and steel. So we're going to spend the next three episodes exploring steel as a sort of case study in industrial decarbonization. Some companies are already on the way to making so-called “green steel,” and if they're successful, it could give us a fighting chance of limiting global temperature rise to one-point-five degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels. And steel manufacturing could be one of those points if this industry could decarbonize, the emissions reductions would live on in all of our cars, buildings, appliances and cookpots. Because, as we've heard from multiple guests this season, the key to progress on climate is finding leverage points-places under the hood or way up in the supply chain, where we can make changes that ripple out and have an exponential effect. But hidden inside each of these climate problems is an opportunity. Cement, cars, and clothing, are three of the big ones. There are major climate issues with the way we make all kinds of things. Steel isn't the only industry in this position, of course. So we both really need steel, and we really need to stop making steel the way we're doing it now. If it were a country, the steel industry would be the world's third-largest emitter, after China and the United States. It's responsible for about 10 percent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions. The infrastructure of a renewable energy economy requires a lot of steel.Īnd therein lies a problem, because making steel is one of the most climate-unfriendly, carbon-intensive manufacturing processes in the world. And we'll need more steel to build wind turbines, electric vehicles, even the heat pumps that Nick Mott was talking about a few episodes ago. We use steel to build the skeletons of our skyscrapers and to strengthen our own aging hips and spines. It's everywhere, from the cars in our garages to the International Space Station. There's steel in the stove, in the microwave, in the sink, in the silverware drawer. And the thermos that I pour my tea into every day. And then I started looking around the kitchen. I rinsed the pot and turned it upside down on the drying rack. ![]() And eventually, it can be melted down again and turned into something new, because steel can be almost endlessly recycled. It's built to last-in a world of single-use, throw-away products, this pot could easily outlive me. It can be heated up again and again without breaking down. It's light and strong and easily cleaned. Someone dug that iron ore up and carted it to a blast furnace, where it was liquefied and further refined into my miraculous steel pot. So this ordinary household item began its life soaring through the universe, and then became a chunk of heavy rock lodged in the Earth's crust. And iron comes from the dust of exploding stars and asteroids that have crashed into our planet. But also, maybe a thing of wonder.Īs I said, the pot is made of steel, which is basically highly refined iron. A standard-issue IKEA stainless steel pot. It's medium-sized, with two handles screwed into the sides near the top. But instead of doing what I usually do while cleaning the pots and pans, which is think about other things, I found myself actually looking at the cookpot in my hands. Last night I had a fleeting spiritual experience with a cookpot. SEASON FOUR | Time to 1.5 Prayers of Steel I ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |