The material that could change the world... for a third time episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 4, 2026 · 8 MIN

The material that could change the world... for a third time

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Explore the role concrete plays in global warming and how scientists are working to create a cleaner, more sustainable concrete.--Today roads, sidewalks, bridges, and skyscrapers are made of a material called concrete. There’s three tons of it for every person on Earth. It’s also played a surprisingly large role in rising global temperatures over the last century. So, what exactly makes concrete problematic, and what can we do to fix it? Explore how scientists are working to create a cleaner, more sustainable concrete.Directed by Lisa LaBracio.Animation and art direction by Luísa M H Copetti and Hype CGIn partnership with Bill Gates, inspired by his book "How To Avoid A Climate Disaster": http://bit.ly/PlanForZeroCheck out the videos in this series: http://bit.ly/TEDEdClimateSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: ​http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-material-that-could-change-the-world-for-a-third-timeDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-material-that-could-change-the-world-for-a-third-time#digdeeperAnimator's website: https://www.hype.cg/​Music: https://soundcloud.com/aim-music ----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, John Hong, Annastasshia Ames, Sebastiaan Hols, Aries SW, Amy Lopez, Liz Candee, Kathryn Vacha, Anthony Arcis, Jeffrey Segrest, Karmi Nguyen, Yelena Baykova, Harshita Jagdish Sahijwani, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Mohamed Elsayed, Les Howard, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Abhishek Bansal, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Charles A Hershberger, Robert Seik, Heidi Stolt, Alexis Hevia, Brady Jones, Christina Salvatore, Karlee Finch, Michael Goldberg, Mario Mejia, Nicolas Silva, Kurt Almendras, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Kristiyan Bonev, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, Javid Gozalov, Jaime Arriola, Rebecca Reineke, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Valeria Sloan Vasquez and Yvette Mocete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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