Good Bricks System - a Carbon-free Miracle
Written by Moses Yoon
I was born in South Korea and grew up in 3 other countries: the UAE, Germany, and the US. Yet, while growing up, environmental issues didn't particularly concern me; to be exact, I didn't know of such matters. All I knew of were trivial matters such as Polar bears losing their habitats. I never really comprehended the heavy tolls many in the world took due to such ecological crisis, losing entire homes, countries, and cultures. I was concealed behind heavy curtains, the curtains of privilege.
Nepali Brick Kiln
However, recently, I watched a documentary about the gravity of carbon emissions. In it, I realized many things I didn't know, such as the detrimental effects undue carbon emissions could have on our world. In it, I watched whole homes sink and millions in need of health care due to pollution. I was devastated by my ignorance, my wastefulness, and my foolishness.
The winter of 2021, however, was a pivoting point. As I became cognizant of the issues, I decided to look more into carbon emissions. While doing so, I came across the problems brick kilns provided. Conventional brick kilns utilize coal as a primary power source - to power the plants and fire the bricks. Yet, knowing coal, the obsessive use of coal to fit the high demands for bricks negatively affected the communities. I was shocked that in South Asia alone, there are a staggering 500,000 brick kilns, contributing to 91% of all particulate matter, emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, raising our global temperature, and nearing the threshold we can not cross. Also, I learned nearly 60,000 people lost their lives due to the pollution produced by such kilns in Nepal, Bangladesh, and India combined.
Again, this fact was stunning, as this event corroborated my determination to do something to better the situation. While looking for methods to help, in the winter of 2021, I came across an internship opportunity at a South Korean startup, InnoCSR: a company endeavouring to bring in a carbon-free method of producing bricks, eliminating environmental problems of burning as a whole. This company currently focuses on the brick issues in Nepal. To those who aren't aware of Nepal, Nepal is a country between India and China, boasting known heritages such as the Himalayas and being the birthplace of Buddha.
As I embarked on a semester-long internship with InnoCSR, I got to shed multiple layers of curtains. One by one, I understood the earnestness of carbon emissions in Nepal and the necessity for an innovative method. I also got to probe the topic of carbon credits, a modern solution to monetize incentives to better our world. Yet, although I now understood the problem, I still didn't grasp the need for this technology: I didn't understand why Nepal continued their usage of fired bricks when there were other "cleaner" methods.
This summer, however, I got to visit Nepal. It was an opportunity to experience what I had learned finally. Nepal was different from many places I've lived in. A different world, with different cultures and traditions. One car ride around the streets of Kathmandu made me recognize why the people of Nepal favoured bricks. I would see heeps of bricks piled up on every construction site, every building, beautifully concocted with such red bricks. As a result, I now understood the situation of the demand for bricks. I now acknowledge that bricks are much more than a building material for the people and are part of their diverse culture. And knowing that, I now fully appreciate the impact the Good Bricks System by InnoCSR could have on the people when enacted. This technology, when adopted, will allow for the continuous use of bricks - permitting a continuation of culture - and dramatically lessen carbon emissions.
Coming from experience, this technology could eliminate many issues the current traditional brick kilns have. While other bricks only withstand forces of 3 megapascals of strength (Brick's strength measuring unit), InnoCSR's good bricks could easily retain 10 MPAs, making them significantly stronger and safer in situations such as the 2015 Nepal earthquake. I was confirmed of these statistics, as I handmade and tested the bricks myself. These bricks also boast uniform quality, enabling brick kiln owners to profit - while traditional brick kilns have loss rates of 20%~30%, the good bricks only have a loss rate of less than 1%. Most importantly, as this new technology eliminates the need for a firing process, it could permanently cut out much of the air pollution issues - with the implementation of the Good Bricks System, it is possible to cut 2/3 of total carbon emissions per brick. It is projected that, from 2025, brick kilns with the Good Bricks System could reduce a staggering amount of 1.56 million tons of CO2 per year. Not only that, but this system is also perfect in the current situation where coal prices are surging due to inflation, saving multiple kiln owners from closing down their long history of brick business.
Until now, I have learned many things. Yet, I'm unsure if I have learned anything more valuable than my experiences during my stay here in Nepal. I now believe that within a few years, Nepal could be a paradigm - a symbol - for a new hope for our environment to those around the globe. I firmly believe that InnoCSR's Good Bricks System will not only better the Nepali community - by eliminating environmental problems and social issues such as child labour and health cost due to coal firing, etc. - but also elevate the economy and, finally, better our world all at once.
