SEEKING TO CEMENT A GREEN FUTURE: New chemistries promise to revolutionize stodgy BUILDING MATERIALS industry

AT FIRST GLANCE, cement, drywall, and bricks do not appear to be compelling targets for reinvention by green technology start-up firms. These old-fashioned building products, made from all-natural sources, have been used successfully for centuries and continue to dominate the building materials market. Yet builders have recently become aware of the significant carbon footprint of their most basic building supplies. Experts estimate that the manufacture of traditional building materials is responsible for 10–12% of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S., mainly because of the large amount of energy used to create them. Venture capital investors have started showing an interest in companies that claim they can significantly reduce the amount of energy required to turn basic ingredients into sturdy building blocks. These firms are drawing on new proprietary chemistry that they say reduces the need for external heat sources. Environmentally friendly concrete start-up Calera has had the backing of famous technol...