MAC
New Member
Very true comments. We need to keep in mind that developing new, more sustainable techniques for construction, cars or the like should not be about providing perfect solutions, but one that makes the current situation better than previous. Hopefully, working towards better more sustainable technology. The same should be constantly done for fossil fuel or resource extraction based technology. Ie...oil vehicles that perform better on less, concrete that produces less carbon.@UtakataNoAnnex asks broadly about how sustainable mass timber / CLT really is.....
So, if we're honest, the jury on that is still out.
The benefits outlined by @MAC are broadly accurate, but a variety other factors come into play.
Some seem to work out, in theory........but we don't have the time/experience to show that they do, yet.
While others raise serious questions.
This is a somewhat dated report from Yale, looking at the sector in 2019:
As Mass Timber Takes Off, How Green Is This New Building Material?
Mass timber construction is on the rise, with advocates saying it could revolutionize the building industry and be part of a climate change solution. But some are questioning whether the logging and manufacturing required to produce the new material outweigh any benefits.e360.yale.edu
A somewhat more recent report from 2022/updated 2024 from a different source, can be found here:
Cross Laminated Timber Pros and Cons | Green Building Canada
Cross laminated timber construction shows great promise for the green building industry. Learn about the pros and cons of this material here.greenbuildingcanada.ca
I think both read as reasonably balanced. There are clear benefits, there are more problematic bits and some unknowns.
Further study remains necessary.
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The electric car is not an unreasonable analogy.
The benefits of not burning fossil fuels are clear enough.....
But the electricity running an electric car is only as clean as the grid that powers it. (ie. much of China's power grid is coal powered, so not very green, if you're charging your car w/the product of a coal power plant....the advantages
are more....dubious).
Additionally, one must weight the environmental costs of mineral extraction, notably Lithium, but many other critical minerals as well. There's also the matter of disposing of spent batteries. (highly toxic).
One of the unknowns of Mass Timber that is a big factor here is how it will be disposed of when the time for demolition comes. Its largely too early to answer this question. But, simply, if you eradicate the timbers through conventional demolition or industrial chipping, the carbon-storage value is wiped out.
So its all be a bit more nuanced that most people are comfortable with.
Its very much worth exploring the tech; but it is not yet a proven panacea.
There is considerably more data on mass timber in Europe, who having been building this way for 30 years or more. The Eurocode has been updated several times...where NA is now just getting mass timber into building codes.
Also...most electric vehicle batteries are 95% renewable, Tesla's are 100%.
