Grex Paradox Conference

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Grex Paradox Item 14: Sri Lanka & the cement industry.
Entered by mcpoz on Tue Sep 26 01:51:23 UTC 1995:

Here's a paradox I just read about:

On Sri Lanka there is a thriving cement industry.  To make the cement, they
dig out the corral reefs, and reduce the corral to lime.  This leaves the reef
damaged and the land subject to severe erosion.  To remedy that situation,
they repair the holes in the reefs with cement, which is made by the
destruction of the corral reefs.

3 responses total.

#1 of 3 by nephi on Fri Apr 5 07:46:10 1996:

Hmm.  That seems like a paradox, and if it were only lime which made cement,
the system wouldn't last for long (due to entropy), but the lime they remove
is only partially replaced.

#2 of 3 by spydre on Thu Aug 15 21:34:13 1996:

Beautiful!!!  Creating a need, andthen filling it.  Somebody's making a
fortune here; snd i bet it's not thr coral.  8->
  
                  //^@^\\

#3 of 3 by cheeso on Wed May 28 06:48:34 1997:

wierd enough, but if the cement produced is more than cement took to fill up
the holes, and enought profit to support the industry, it don't sound like
a paradox then...

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