May 4, 2012
Connecting the dots
Posted by Kate McClain , 9:51 am

It has come to our attention that on Saturday, May 5, the Stop Titan Action Network (STAN) is hosting a protest on Wrightsville Beach to “connect the dots” between climate impacts and its causes. STAN is touting this event as a show of solidarity with Alexandria, Egypt and locations in Greece where Titan Cement, our parent company, operates cement plants. If protestors would take the time to truly connect the dots between Titan and its environmental records, here is what they would discover:

- On Friday, December 30, a group of armed terrorists and unarmed protestors stormed Titan’s cement plant in Alexandria, Egypt and set it on fire. The attack shut down the plant and put innocent lives at risk. The crowd dispersed after the military arrived to reopen the roads and protect the plant.

- The protest at the Alexandria plant was an illegal act spurred by political unrest against the Egyptian administration, not against Titan or its environmental record. Egypt is going through political transition after 60 years of an oppressive regime. This incident had less to do with Titan and its operations and more to do with Egypt’s massive civil unrest and general chaos at that time.

- An anti-Titan activist contacted Stop Titan about the December 30 protests using Facebook and blog postings, escalating his rantings into a “solidarity” protest without corroborating any of his statements or asking for verification.

- The Alexandria plant employs approximately 2,000 people. It was not built by Titan, but since Titan Cement acquired it, it has been continuously upgraded to ensure it operates in the cleanest and most efficient manner possible.

- The people of Greece are also experiencing traumatic economic and social difficulties. To protest an environmentally responsible jobs creator such as Titan Cement only exacerbates this unrest and certainly does nothing to ameliorate the struggle faced by Greek citizens.

- Concrete is the final end product of cement. It is the most environmentally and sustainable materials for the construction of buildings and roads. Thanks to its resilience, it is essential for disaster prevention, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes and can positively address climate change adaptation. A good place to start is at the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub at http://web.mit.edu/cshub/index.html.

We, at Titan America, encourage you to use caution before forming alliances. We also invite you to research the exemplary environmental and community stewardship of Titan America and our parent company, Titan Cement. Perhaps most importantly, learn about the sustainable benefits of our products. As always, we welcome your thoughts and questions.

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