Timber track for greener ride

SUSTAINABLE USE OF TIMBER FOR CARBON NEUTRAL ECONOMY IN SRI LANKA

- 

Railway sleepers are a crucial component of railway infrastructure, providing stability and support for railway tracks.

Traditionally, concrete sleepers have been used widely, but there is a growing interest in sustainable alternatives, such as wooden sleepers. Using timber and wooden items in maximum capacity is a critical issue in achieving carbon positive economy in achieving sustainable development.

As a tropical country, Sri Lanka maintains commercial forests in order to sustainable harvesting with removing atmospheric carbon dioxide. This newspaper article argues that wooden sleepers should be considered for their environmental, economic, social, ecological and operational benefits, in addition to the main benefits of climate change mitigation.

Background

In the market there are many substitute goods used instead of timber such as concrete and plastics which have many long-term environmental consequences.

In this article, we are going to highlight negative environmental consequences risen from production and using concrete sleepers in Sri Lanka.

Let's start with the production of raw material for cement production and then production of sleepers. The production of concrete sleepers require significant amount of raw materials, including cement, metals, and steel. Producing cement requires limestone, clay and gypsum.

Extracting these materials can lead to habitat destruction, soil erosion, and depletion of natural resources. Next, the cement industry is a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which is contributing to negative impact on climate change.

The process of producing cement is energy-intensive and involves the calcination of limestone, which also releases CO2 as a byproduct. The transportation of raw materials to the manufacturing plants of concrete sleepers to installation sites can lead to additional greenhouse gas emissions, especially if the distance is significant.