ALAFAR 2014: Refractories - Impacts on Environment and Recycling

摘要

The ALAFAR President Pablo Valenzuela welcomed over 130 participants from 21 countries. Brazil had the strongest presence (33) followed by Mexico (24), the United States (16) and Chile (11).The lion's share of the attendees came from ALAFAR member countries (87), Europe was represented by 16 refractory experts. The introduction to the conference topic "Refractories - Impacts on Environment and Recycling" was given by Mauricio Villareal with the plenary speech on "Climate Change". He assessed the effects of global warming with regard to various aspects (e.g. melting of glaciers, erosion in tundra areas, effects on floods and extreme heat waves), which are also resulting in major damage to people. The growing acidity of seawater has a negative impact on flora and fauna. The effect of temperature rise can be observed in the ecosystem in manifold ways (water, food production, coast damage, people's health a.o.)