Building Back Better?

George Monbiot suggests that new infrastructure projects are 'all the rage', as countries attempt to build their way out of the environmental crisis. He poses the question, however, about 'who benefits from the (resulting) rising tide of concrete?' (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/01/build-environmental-crisis-infrastructure-pandemic-concrete). One quick answer, of course, are the manufacturers of concrete. Most concrete production (there are some developments) releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, as limestone is heated in kilns. In many projects, it can take decades before any emissions savings (if there are any) exceed the generated carbon footprint. Monbiot also points out that infrastructure projects are rarely properly evaluated for their environmental impact, before being approved. The selected projects appear to be often driven by big construction companies. They make large amounts of money from them. He details some of schemes (like the UK's HS2 rail project), where costs have repeatedly escalated and the postulated environmental benefits turned out to be largely a mirage. Monbiot clearly feels that most infrastructure projects, rather than benefitting the planet, only cause further environmental damage.