Asphalt used on road surfaces are byproducts from fossil fuel. With the ultimate goal of eliminating the use of fossil fuel to combat climate change, are there any good alternatives for road surfaces? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a viable replacement of asphalt in the works, or even a plan to replace it in any environmental discussions before. At least, not enough for me to notice.
Extented question would be: what are some products derived from fossil fuel that are used in everyday life, but still lack viable alternatives you don’t see enough discussions about?
Solar Roadways has been trying to make it work for a while, but I think they will end up being a project better geared for driveways or parking lots or bicycle highways rather than replacing asphalt roads, just based on the enormous amount of issues they’ve had in the past in trying to shield and protect the lighting elements.
It could still do a lot of good even in the more limited applications, though, so I’m still hoping for their eventual success, even if it ends up being on a smaller scale than what their initial goal was.