There are other ways to make acetylene.
Natural gas cracking: High-temperature methane cracking is better for the environment, cheaper and now common.
Plasma method: a new technology that uses a lot of energy, but produces chemicals that are very pure (used for high-quality chemicals).
Waste disposal:
Cement from carbide slag: replacing limestone and reducing CO2 emissions (some Chinese companies are already using it on a large scale).
Finally, there is soil reclamation, which involves neutralising acidic mine wastewater and binding heavy metal ions (such as lead and cadmium).
