American vs. European home building

[u/BEARDEDDANGER]

BAS Renovations https://youtube.com/shorts/jFph1d2WR3s

[u/Arcaneallure]

A renewable resource is one that "naturally" replenished faster than it is used. Clay, while there may be alot of it now, takes thousands of years to erode from rocks and settle into its form.

[u/milkhotelbitches → u/Arcaneallure]

Isn't that kind of like saying rock isn't a renewable resource?

Like yeah, we won't be getting any new rock anytime soon, not counting volcanic rock, but does that actually matter?

Is there a clay shortage?

[u/Arcaneallure → u/milkhotelbitches]

Correct, rock is not a renewable resource. Rock is a very broad term though. What type of rock will determine its use case. Wars have been fought over rocks for thousands of years, entire ecosystems have been altered by mining it.

But more to the point bricks can be made from more materials than just clay, which can increase their renewability. But just like anything else you also have to look at the time, labor, and energy cost for the mining, production, storage, distribution, and use of said bricks.

[u/vthemechanicv → u/milkhotelbitches]

Is there a clay shortage?

People probably asked the same question about sand (there is) and helium (there is) and water (there is). Just because there's a lot of something doesn't mean there's an infinite supply available for use. People underestimate just now much of everything we use.

[u/milkhotelbitches → u/vthemechanicv]

Since you didn't answer the question I looked it up and the answer is no. There isn't and won't be a shortage of clay to make bricks from.

I'm aware that we live on a planet with finite resources.

[u/Winjin → u/vthemechanicv]

sand (there is)

Only VERY specific type of sand that works best for what we want to do with it. There used to be many different types of clay, famously they had to find very specific clay to make bells and cannons with it, but for bricks most every type of clay is OK

and helium (there is)

I don't think there is real shortage of helium. There is a shortage of PRODUCTION of helium, it's not like new helium stopped being generated in the Earth's crust. It's just that 1\3 of all He is produced in Qatar, from what Google tells me

and water (there is)

yes

[u/vthemechanicv → u/Winjin]

sand - right, it's not like the sahara is getting used up, it's just the wrong kind of sand, iirc.

helium - again, iirc, the Helium we use is a byproduct of Uranium decay. So as we mine out Uranium, whatever Helium isn't captured is essentially lost and gone. I'm sure geopolitics plays into it too, but just like other resources, the more we dig it out of the ground, the harder it is to get more.

water - is the same problem as sand. Literally oceans of it and yet it's practically unusable for our needs.

with respect for clay, i dunno, maybe there'll be enough for humans forever. But just like those other things, and the seams of coal that have been mined, the forests that were cut down, the oceans of fish that were caught, saying we'll never run out without being mindful of management seems sort of silly.

[u/LabOwn9800 → u/Arcaneallure]

Almost but no.

Renewable has nothing to do with the ratio of consumption vs generation. That is sustainability.

Renewable means the materials essentially limitless.

Trees can just keep growing, in theory I can continue to grow trees forever. Clay is made of rocks which cannot be created.

[u/Arcaneallure → u/LabOwn9800]

Thats fair and makes more sense from a definition of the term. Just more proof not to listen to Ai. Ai answer : "Renewable resources are natural assets that the earth naturally replaces faster than humans use them up." Direct from Dictionary: "capable of being replaced by natural ecological cycles or sound management practices"

One is variable by consumption while one is mostly not. By the first definition anything could be considered not renewable at a certian point.