The Cement Industry: Environmental Impact

Cement – we might not notice it because we are virtually surrounded by it; industrialization simply cannot occur without an ample amount of this building material, and the structure of nearly every building we enter relies upon it. Since it's so ubiquitous, it tends to fade into the background and we don't really think about it. But the truth is that cement – particularly its manufacturing process – has a huge impact on our environment.

It's not a material we can easily replace, mostly because we use so much of it. It's used all around the globe for essential structures such as bridges, roads, and sidewalks, and we've yet to come up with something that could make for a sufficient replacement. So what exactly are we compromising in order to industrialize?

The manufacturing of cement results in the use of lots of energy and the release of lots of emissions. This is the result of the high temperatures needed to fire the product for hardening. The main emission that results from making cement is CO2, which comes from both the heating of the limestone and the burning of fossil fuels. So much cement is made – about 2.55 billion tons annually – that the industry alone is responsible for 5% of the emissions of carbon dioxide worldwide. 

Though as of right now there are no viable cement substitutes, many major players in the industry, like Alex F Bouri, are doing what they can to mitigate the emissions. For example, the fossil fuels used to heat the kilns can be replaced with alternative fuels such as natural gas and recycled fuels. Some companies are coming up with ideas to make more efficient kilns. 

Some industries are finding it important to find an alternative to limestone, since the calcination process of limestone is responsible for many of the environmentally detrimental effects of manufacturing cement. Some companies have already begun to use a blended mixture, replacing some of the limestone with coal fly ash and other materials. However, it's difficult to implement this method entirely due to environmental limitations, though it does help to reduce emissions by as much as 20%.

Limitations have already been put in place by the government which encourages these manufacturers to do what they can to minimize their carbon footprints. Some are simply recycling more, and others are building walls to contain the majority of the pollution. In any sense, it's an issue that's extremely impactful and will hopefully continue to make progress.

Nepal and its Cement Industry Crackdown

In Nepal, cement producers are scrambling to meet the newly implemented Nepal Standards, put in place by the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology. Only recently did the NBSM decide to become stricter in deciding which cement manufacturers were permitted to sell their products, a movement intended to weed out any companies that were using the NS logo on their products illegally, or not at all.

Four cement plants were shut down in February alone for illegal use of the Nepal Standards logo. The products did not meet the necessary standards and were therefore to be deemed poor quality; the manufacturers were Ambe, Butwal, Reliance, and Shree. The crackdown is allegedly having a positive effect: there were originally 28 cement plants who were not making use of the NS mark, and 26 have since applied for it.

44 cement manufacturers are currently present in Nepal, and collectively, they create and sell about 150 different brands. However, only 16 of these companies are NS certified; the other 28 were using the logo illegally or selling their products without it. Some manufacturers have even met the NS guidelines and acquired use of the logo, but have then used it illegally across other brands that they produce.

According to Moneylife.com, the cement industry is expected to gain traction over 2013 and 2014, so aside from the obvious reasons, it's easy to see why a cement industry would want to stay in the game. It's an industry that's soon-to-be booming in otherwise strapped economic times, and meeting quality standards puts these companies in the competitive game with Seament Holding, Holcim, and the other big players in the industry.

Three Difficult Truths About Starting a Business

Founders of successful businesses all started out the same way.  They were people with ideas who were determined to make them work.  In a perfect world a head full of ideas and a gut full of gumption would be all you need to be a successful businessman, but unfortunately we live in the real world.  Every businessman you know from big successes like Maurice Bouri to the owner of the deli down the street learned some tough lessons when they started their businesses.  Sometimes you have to learn from the school of hard knocks in order to truly understand something, and if you're starting your own business soon you'll probably be learning these tough lessons soon.

You Can't Get Bank Loans with Ideas

No bank or credit union is going to write a check and tell you to simply follow your dreams.  You may have one of the best ideas in human history, but if you don't have proof that you can pull it off you shouldn't expect a dime from anyone.  It's unfortunate and unfair, but many banks shy away from financing startups because many of the people behind the startups have little experience managing businesses.  Having a concept is great, but if you want to get any monetary support you'll need to have proof that you can make the concept work.

Your Initial Financial Expectations Will be Way Off

You could have an economics degree and have the finest financial analysts going over your projected earnings, but you won't know how much you'll earn until you actually start your business and start earning money.  Financial forecasts are a lot like regular weather forecasts.  Experts look at the data they have and make predictions on what they think will happen, and the majority of the time unexpected factors affect their predictions.  You can't predict world events, changing social norms, or upcoming economic shifts.  Focus on growing your business naturally before you start setting 7 figure revenue goals.

Success Today Doesn't Guarantee Success Tomorrow

There is no such thing as a perfect business that's always profitable; companies go through high and low periods as often as the wind changes.  If you falsely believe that you'll always be the top company in your industry you're almost guaranteed to fail somewhere down the line.  A good business owner is always looking for ways to improve their business and they make it a point to stay on top of industry trends.  The faster you realize that your success isn't guaranteed, the better off your business will be.