The method involves injecting finely ground iron ore powder into an extremely hot furnace… The result is a display of bright red, glowing liquid iron droplets that rain down and collect at the bottom of the furnace… Known as flash ironmaking… The new method also works exceptionally well for low or medium-yield ores that are abundant in China… the new technology could improve the energy use efficiency of China’s steel industry by more than one-third. As it eliminates the need for coal entirely, it would also enable the steel industry to achieve the coveted goal of “near-zero carbon dioxide emissions”
Medium-hot take: sustainable cities really wouldn’t need that much steel at all. The optimal height for residential buildings is about how many stories you can climb without being winded, and you can do this with timber and brick.
Cities will never be sustainable if they replicate the paradigm of enabling each individual’s presumed desire to accumulate personal or private property to fill every need. Switching to universal access to everything, rather than ownership, is the biggest step. Once you do that, dwellings don’t need to be as big, yards can be pooled together, there will be a shorter distance to everything, and production requirements for virtually everything will dramatically drop.
You can have a sophisticated and sustainable city with mostly 1700s-level technology.
very interesting
certainly sounds promising
Carbon neutral steel would be incredible for building sustainable cities.
Medium-hot take: sustainable cities really wouldn’t need that much steel at all. The optimal height for residential buildings is about how many stories you can climb without being winded, and you can do this with timber and brick.
Cities will never be sustainable if they replicate the paradigm of enabling each individual’s presumed desire to accumulate personal or private property to fill every need. Switching to universal access to everything, rather than ownership, is the biggest step. Once you do that, dwellings don’t need to be as big, yards can be pooled together, there will be a shorter distance to everything, and production requirements for virtually everything will dramatically drop.
You can have a sophisticated and sustainable city with mostly 1700s-level technology.
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