- Written by Robert McCaffrey Editorial Director, Global Cement Magazine
I make no apologies for writing this column on a subject that has nothing to do with cement, concrete, gypsum, insulation or any other building material: Occasionally, I do go ‘off-topic.’ Sometimes, it’s useful to stand back so that you can see the bigger picture. In fact, we should probably all do it more often.
- Written by Robert McCaffrey Editorial Director, Global Cement Magazine
Company annual reports can sometimes be a turgid read, but every now and again they may include an exciting flash of something interesting, almost like seeing the flash of a metallic-blue kingfisher darting along a non-descript and over-grown ditch. However, the recent LafargeHolcim (LH) Annual Report 2017 was a very interesting read throughout, and nowhere more so than in the section on ‘Risk management,’ especially after its recent and ongoing travails in regards to the operation of its cement plant in Syria (see Page 69, Global Cement Magazine - June 2018).
- Written by Robert McCaffrey Editorial Director, Global Cement Magazine
The interview by Global Cement Magazine’s editor Peter Edwards with the president and CEO of the US Portland Cement Association on page 56 (Global Cement Magazine - May 2018) throws up some interesting points. Among them is the suggestion that cement and concrete are battling other building materials - notably wood - on a new front: that of sustainability. If you accept that we need to reduce our impact on the planet (who doesn’t?), then we really need to improve our sustainability and to ‘go green.’
- Written by Robert McCaffrey Editorial Director, Global Cement Magazine
The latest forecasts for urbanisation rates make for a shocking read. Cities around the world are growing due to high birth rates and due to the greater economic opportunities that cities seem to give to their inhabitants. Citizens around the world are giving up rural life and heading to the cities in search of easier living and greater access to education and healthcare and who can blame them? The reality, however, may be tougher than they imagine. Can cement and concrete help in making future cities more ‘liveable’?
- Written by Robert McCaffrey Editorial Director, Global Cement Magazine
Have a guess at how many rhinoceroses there are left on the planet. How many leopards? How many lions? Go on, have a guess.
I guessed 100,000, 100,000 again and two million for lions. Then I looked up the numbers on the internet and I was shocked. For all five species of rhino, there are in total around 30,000 individuals (but only 61 - 63 examples of the Javan rhino and 100 of the Sumatran rhino). The most common species, the white rhino, has about 20,000 individuals. There used to be millions of these things, wandering around, eating the greenery.1
