Motor Racing's "Green" Pretensions

Fenderman

Rooters Reporter
The thing that bugs me about this tyre business is the bloody waste involved. So much for F1 being more environmental with its energy saving KERS technology. I'd love to know how much microscopic debris and trace elements are being deposited in the atmosphere as all this hot synthetic rubber shreds in ar ace and just how much energy is being used to produce all these tyres that according to one of the engineers at the weekend do not get recycled into playgrounds all over the planet as that was just his little joke, rant, rant rant rant, blah, blah ..... sorry, bad day at the office! I'm all right now. I think ....
 
The thing that bugs me about this tyre business is the bloody waste involved. So much for F1 being more environmental with its energy saving KERS technology. I'd love to know how much microscopic debris and trace elements are being deposited in the atmosphere as all this hot synthetic rubber shreds in ar ace and just how much energy is being used to produce all these tyres that according to one of the engineers at the weekend do not get recycled into playgrounds all over the planet as that was just his little joke, rant, rant rant rant, blah, blah ..... sorry, bad day at the office! I'm all right now. I think ....

F1 is actually very economic with its energy when you look at things like fuel consumption, You can't blame F1 about how the tires are actually made, that would be up to Pirelli to look at their own processess. Most suppliers to F1 work to ISO14001, im pretty sure Pirelli work under a similar standard.

I think the worn used tires after a race get skimmed and used on replica cars for shows or something I think, I read that a couple of years ago or something.

In terms of the microscopic debris into the atmosphere, A Jumbo jet uses more fuel on a transatlantic flight, then tho whole grid uses in a whole season. I think based on this we can give F1 some leeway here
 
Yes F1 is wasteful, but then all motorsports are.
We're veering off topic now but apparently F1 is actually carbon positive, or so I've read.
 
Yes F1 is wasteful, but then all motorsports are.
We're veering off topic now but apparently F1 is actually carbon positive, or so I've read.

Do they plant a lot of trees? Did I spot Jenson and Alonso planting something after the race in Turkey?
 
I refer folks to the tyre engineer interviewed by Eddie Jordan after the Turkey GP where the engineer stated the tyres would not be recycled and Eddie explained that due to the secrecy surrounding the compounds used that they would be destroyed. Neither chap explained the method of waste disposal.

Carbon is but one pollutant and was not the main focus of my concern which was a general one really about thecontradiction between seeking longevity and durability in one area (e.g. engines and gearboxes) but limited durability/longevity in another - i.e. the tyres.
 
Carbon is but one pollutant and was not the main focus of my concern which was a general one really about thecontradiction between seeking longevity and durability in one area (e.g. engines and gearboxes) but limited durability/longevity in another - i.e. the tyres.

Its strange that green political thought seems to revolve entirely around carbon dioxide and ignore all other forms of wastage whatsoever.
 
Not necessarily a preoccupation of "green political thought" rather a convenient sub-issue for the "establishment" to distract us into thinking they're actually dealing with something. I find it quite interesting that until the ongoing distaster in Japan nuclear energy had gained a resurgence in acceptabilty as a purportedly clean energy source. Anyone fancy taking a dip in the pacific off the coast of Fukushima Daiichi lately?:thinking:
 
Apart from any of the natural power sources such as wind, air or water, Nuclear is still the greenest form of electricity. It took a once in a millennia event to cause the disaster to happen. 90% of the worlds nuclear power stations are not in earthquake zones and the chances of seeing a similar quake happen again would not happen for another 1000 years. The power station itself actually survived the quake, it was the Tsunami that did the damage. I still have faith in the safety of nuclear power. Now how do we get these damn Prius's off the road with their ecologically expensive batteries.

I have a feeling we have drifted way off topic now.....
 
Split off from the tyres thread but a very valid discussion none the less

There is a regulation that states that all fuel must contain a certain amount of bio-ethanol - Paul Drayson entered a bio-ethenol powered Aston Martin in the 2009 Le Mans and came a creditable 12th in class on the team's first go.

The forthcoming regulations state that there'll be a 35% reduction in fuel consumption and this can only be a good thing for the image of the sport.

People bring up the subject of the "flyaway" races - most of the time the equipment and sometimes the cars go by sea (doubt they'd do that between India and Dubai at the moment tho) and yes there are an awful lot of people to transport but again most of the time they go on commercial flights i.e. ones that would be going there anyway.

What are your thoughts on the sports attempts to be environmentally friendly (or less damaging depending on which side of the fence you sit)
 
It took a once in a millennia event to cause the disaster to happen. 90% of the worlds nuclear power stations are not in earthquake zones and the chances of seeing a similar quake happen again would not happen for another 1000 years.

Most Nuclear power stations are on the coast in the UK and tsunamis can travel thousands of miles unabated. We also have earthquakes. Then there is the matter of waste which may be buried in a safe place in this century but in just a few centuries time it may be a place that is unstable. Or in the future we may really need to get to something that is directly underneath our nuclear dump.
 
F1, from what I have read, has been carbon neutral since 1997 due to offsetting and carbon trading. Doesn't stop it sucking up resources though but it does show some sense of responsibility. The FIA rally championship is due to be carbon neutral soon.
 
I do believe the Carbon Footprint stuff is a red herring although as Spesh' notes above there are other engine solutions of real interest in that area. Oh, before anybody reminds me that there is an issue with bio-fuel crops being grown in competition with food crops - I know that's a problem and there alternatives in that area as well.

Getting back to F1's environmental credibility and Speshal's question in particular .... I think F1 is making an effort but I believe it could be really ramped up and F1 could get a lot of good press out of it in the process. Thinking back to the tyres issue what about the question of how much of a modern F1 car is recycled? Does F1 utilise recycled materials? Does it promote waste and resourcee use minimisation?

I'm sure there are things going on in these areas but we don't hear enough about it, yet the technical minds in F1 ought to be leading and promoting its leadership in this in the same way it leads as the (assumed) pinnacle of motorsport. Just a thought (or two) mind :thinking:
 
the engineer stated the tyres would not be recycled and Eddie explained that due to the secrecy surrounding the compounds used that they would be destroyed.
Now this I don't understand at all.

F1 tyres can only be used on an F1 car and the compounds have been created specifically for that use, so why the silly shenanigans?

Let's face it, if another manufacturer wants to get hold of the new Pirelli compound, it would be extremely easy to do so all this cloak and dagger stuff is ridiculous.
 
Don't see why not. As Brogan points out the cloak and dagger stuff is a nonsense. Wouldn't be hard to pinch a few marbles after a GP weekend anyway. Not only that, just how much mileage (excuse the pun) is there in nicking the secret of self-destructing, one fifth of a race duration rubber? Maybe theres a weapons application for it! :thinking:Ah, yes, of course, self destructing rubber bullets that will disappear once a luny dictators minions have blasted his peacefully protesting people :victory:
 
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