Uhhhh Chris, that's not quite correct.
New steel is generally added to recycled steel to maintain structural
integrity. Otherwise it begins to get to "tinny."
Not only do more mining energies go into the new fraction, but fossil
fuels are still consumed in refining. This means more mining of coal -
inclusive of strip mining - and production of coke.
Essentially, even recycled steel products are entirely carbon negative.
Less energy than virgin steel, but entirely carbon negative.
That negative is considerably less when incorporating renewable building
products, whether it be straw bale in less humid climes or new or
engineered wood products.
Yes, some fossil fuel will go into harvesting equipment. Some into
transportation and harvest energies. Some even into milling and molding.
But the equation's product is still phenomenally more carbon negative
than metal ores, whether recycled or not, especially when the
construction is done in a manner consistant with 100 year + builidng
life cycles and carbon storage for such a long duration.
Save the metal for those applications where no other material can
replace it, or where it reduces life-cycle, fossil energy inputs. Steel
may be quick, but it's not magically less painless for the environment
simply becuase humans have painted a "recylced" triangle on the base of
every metal framing stud.
Chris wrote:
Todd, of course you are correct that energy is used to recycle steel.
However, no more land is strip mined, and no new land is disturbed to
bury the old broken washing machine that got melted down. Were the
electricity generated in a sustainable way, it would be all good.
Chris K
Cayce, SC
----- Original Message ----- From: "Appal Energy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <Biofuel@sustainablelists.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 03, 2005 11:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Biofuel] How many trees were killed to build your home ?
> We do not live in the US.
> Would like to know what is this panasteel or recycled steel?
Something that requires a boatload of fossil fuels to smelt, sheet and
press.
Nice thing about renewables. They're renewable.
And to a very large they do it in a carbon neutral way without much
interference from humans.
Todd Swearingen.
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