Hank: In 2021, cement production accounted for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Niba: Let's talk about what we could do to fix that.

Some of that 8% figure is pretty much unavoidable, because it's coming from the energy needed for its production. But some of the carbon emissions come from the concrete itself, since some gasses are given off as it hardens and cures. However, there's another ingredient we could add that might cut that percentage way down. You know it, you love it, it's baking soda. Yeah, it turns out that throwing in a little sodium bicarbonate causes a lot of the CO2 that usually gets emitted as gas to just mineralize and stay solid instead of escaping off into the atmosphere. One study found that adding a little baking soda mixer could cut the emissions of concrete by up to 15% without compromising its structural integrity. Who knew?