A bus company's efforts to cut global warming emissions have led to services being disrupted by cold weather.First Eastern Counties Buses, which runs services in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, said bio-diesel had turned waxy in sub-zero temperatures.
The thicker consistency of the diesel meant fuel lines became blocked.
The company said it had suspended use of the bio-diesel, and was refuelling buses with ultra low-sulphur diesel which is not temperature sensitive.
Goodness. I thought this was pretty common knowledge that the winter fuel mix would be largely regular diesel and in the summer the mix moves to bio diesel....Ahhh summer time when the buses smell like french fries.
Posted by: Stephen at February 20, 2008 11:29 AMNo Ernest Shakletons left in Blighty! Thats why P-30, P-40 and P-50 diesel fuel was invented. The number on the fuel grade tells ya what operating temperature the stuff "flows" at. Anyone who stores cooking fats in the fridge could have told them what happens to their product at lower temps. These are the people who say "the science is settled" but have no "science" to back up their statement, or product.
Posted by: jt at February 20, 2008 11:31 AMThey are simply impatient.
Very soon - very very soon, if you ask Dr. Suzuki, who has not won the Nobel Prize, or Al Gore, who has won the Nobel Prize, AGW will eliminate this problem.
In the meantime, I suggest they write a check to the Chinese. That will fix it.
Posted by: Shaken at February 20, 2008 11:33 AMRenewable Energy -- another name for Perpetual Motion Machine ?? Just asking.
Posted by: ron in kelowna at February 20, 2008 11:37 AMYes, it's too bad they can't keep saving the environment by burning down the rainforests to make way for more palm oil plantations...
At least the endangered orangutans may be able to live another season. Maybe.
Posted by: Warwick at February 20, 2008 12:17 PMSuzkookie will be ecstatic with the Carbon tax just announced in BC.
Posted by: Liz J at February 20, 2008 12:25 PMOnly a stop gap fuel anyway.
Truck fleets in the UK run on battery and taxis in Paris run on compressed air. Brazil runs on E-85 and there are fuel cell options that are practical for bus fleets.
AutoblogGreen.com
= TG
Posted by: TG at February 20, 2008 12:51 PMMaybe they could just add some grain alcohol - it worked pretty well when the diesel in our APCs started to glog up at -40 and below in Wainwright.
Of course, our usual solution was to jsut never turn them off - so we'd run them for three or four weeks at a time, only stopping for routine maintenance (performed in a heated building).
Posted by: holdfast at February 20, 2008 1:57 PMLiz J @ 12.25 p.m.
Ian Bruce, climate-change expert with the David Suzuki Foundation, said the carbon tax is a "powerful incentive that makes polluting activities more expensive, and going green cheaper."
"People will be rewarded for taking responsible action and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions."
The Province, February 20th. '08
Posted by: johnlee at February 20, 2008 2:18 PMmaybe sookie will want to jail the Inuit for running deisel gen plants 24x7 so they can live with electricity in the 21st(?) century.
Posted by: puddin and pie at February 20, 2008 2:43 PMahhh BIO-diesel....NOW I see....how silly of me.....i first thought this was going to be an article on Libby Davies or Elizabeth May.
Posted by: john begley at February 20, 2008 2:54 PMWhy would the BBC ignore/promote the anti AGW irony built in here? Are they secret skeptics?
Posted by: BL@KBIRD at February 20, 2008 3:07 PMWhy didn't they just stuff their fuel tanks with corn? It would hvae been just as effective.
Posted by: Ed at February 20, 2008 3:18 PMha!
Posted by: old white guy at February 20, 2008 3:39 PMjust hope it doesn't get any colder.
Posted by: old white guy at February 20, 2008 3:40 PMcars with ethanol start in the cold?? not likely...
PDF] Project: Development of Technologies to Improve Cold Start ...File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
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Ethanol Vehicles exhibit poor cold start performance. Below 11° Celsius, ethanol will. not form a rich enough fuel vapor-air mixture to support combustion.
If they continue to make fuels with our food supply we just may get that famine sooner than expected.
Posted by: eliza at February 20, 2008 6:13 PM...heck they already do it in Calgary. Any time the temp dips below -21c the Ctrains stop running...
Posted by: tomax7 at February 20, 2008 8:38 PMHow much bio diesel would you get if you rendered Elizabeth May?
Posted by: Roger from Calgary at February 20, 2008 11:08 PMHey TG
Where does the energy to make and recharge the batteries come from? What powers the compressors for the Paris taxis? E85 ethanol requires razing the rain forest for more sugar cane acreage or the diversion of food crops to alcohol. Fuel cells require the production of hydrogen which is again energy intensive. Green bloggers seem to range from simplistic to just simpleton!
And not one of AL GOREs limos are hybrids not one of them are made to run on alternative fuels and their mpg is around 4
Posted by: spurwing plover at February 21, 2008 10:03 AMLooks like many are now getting fed up with all this global warming poppycock bull kaka its too bad AL GORE dont get stranded in the middle of nowhere when his limos breaks down
Posted by: Spurwing Plover at February 23, 2008 11:34 PM