Enough Rock for millions of years
Rock will never become a scarce resource, according to a new study, adding another argument to the environmental benefits of Rockwool insulation.
There’s lots of talk about the scarcity of natural resources in the world. But this does not apply to stone raw materials; we can go on producing Rockwool products for more than 10 million years before running out of rock.
That’s the conclusion of a new study conducted by the young geophysician Ph.D. Tais W. Dahl. He was hired by the Rockwool Group to do the study.
Tais W. Dahl says about his conclusions:
“Rock will never become a scarce resource. There’s plenty for millions of years for Rockwool insulation, roads and buildings. The stone materials are being renewed on an on-going basis, and human stone products enter this rock cycle. The use of them has no appreciable impact on the stone reserves of the world. So with regard to the choice of basic raw materials, other insulation materials can’t claim to be more ecological.”
Tais W. Dahl adds:
“It’s been very positive and surprising for me to find that a company would give me free rein to find an honest answer to the question I was asked. It’s also been a novel experience for
me to do research which is useful here and now. Normally, I do fundamental research with a much longer perspective.”
Tais Dahl’s paper has just been published in the International Geology Review online. The paper is co-authored by Anders Ulf Clausen and Peter Binderup, both from the Rockwool Group.
Now, Tais W. Dahl will go back to pursuing an understanding of how life on Earth evolved through time, by investigating chemical signals from ancient oceans that are preserved in old rocks.
