China has used more concrete from 2011 to 2013 than the United States in the entire 20th century, 6.6 gigatons vs. 4.5 giatons, according to the USGS cement statistics.

It blows my mind but, then again, as Bill Gates point out, look at Shanghai’s evolution in just 20 years…

…and now imagine something similar happening in every city in China, from Beijing to Zhengzhou, in the last five.

Image credit:  Mitch Altman | Flickr
Via Sploid