Green diesel in use in F1 this weekend.

[Bobster.]

Turns out that F1 uses a lot of electricity for each race, and typically the infrastructure at the circuits is inadequate, so the teams run their own generators. 

F1 is keen to reduce their carbon footprint, and will run their own power station at this weekend's race in Austria. This will run on green diesel. The generators will be supplemented by a solar panel array. 

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-to-trial-own-paddock-power-station-to-slash-carbon-emissions/10488233/

[HendrikBigChief]

2 hours ago, Bobster. said:

Turns out that F1 uses a lot of electricity for each race, and typically the infrastructure at the circuits is inadequate, so the teams run their own generators. 

F1 is keen to reduce their carbon footprint, and will run their own power station at this weekend's race in Austria. This will run on green diesel. The generators will be supplemented by a solar panel array. 

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-to-trial-own-paddock-power-station-to-slash-carbon-emissions/10488233/

Sustainable maybe, green - no

[Bobster.]

26 minutes ago, HendrikBigChief said:

Sustainable maybe, green - no

No? I'm not an expert on these things. F1 are aiming to be "carbon neutral" by 2030.

AIUI the general idea is not that over the life time of the fuel, tyres, whatever, from manufacture to use, there should be no increase in carbon in the atmosphere. So the new synthetic fuel they are working on will use carbon extracted from the air when it is manufactured, and that should be equal to the carbon emitted when the fuel is burned.

[HendrikBigChief]

1 minute ago, Bobster. said:

No? I'm not an expert on these things. F1 are aiming to be "carbon neutral" by 2030.

AIUI the general idea is not that over the life time of the fuel, tyres, whatever, from manufacture to use, there should be no increase in carbon in the atmosphere. So the new synthetic fuel they are working on will use carbon extracted from the air when it is manufactured, and that should be equal to the carbon emitted when the fuel is burned.

Carbon in the air is just one type of pollution, but F1 as a whole is creating a lot of other types of pollution. We cannot be zero pollution anyway, so over time this rock drifting in space is going to be unlivable for the current creatures and we will have another great reset. 7th or 8th mass extinction? Cockroaches will be the new kings of the planet 

[Bobster.]

30 minutes ago, HendrikBigChief said:

Carbon in the air is just one type of pollution, but F1 as a whole is creating a lot of other types of pollution. We cannot be zero pollution anyway, so over time this rock drifting in space is going to be unlivable for the current creatures and we will have another great reset. 7th or 8th mass extinction? Cockroaches will be the new kings of the planet 

They're not unaware of these concerns, though they say the actual racing of cars on the circuits is a very small part of their carbon footprint. 

Most major racing series are increasingly not just aware of these issue but dealing with them. EG the packaging of food stuffs at the events, recycling of used tyres. The current generation of F1 cars have very efficient engines, and now use half the fuel over a race distance that they used a decade ago.  NASCAR and IndyCar both are using fuels with a biofuel component, as the F1 support series. Indycar and Bridgestone are working on sustainable tyres. 

F1 are also working on regulations by which the teams must be able to demonstrate that all nickel used in the cars and engines is recycled. I'm not sure what is so special about nickel in this regard.

It too little too late, or should we applaud every improvement?

Edited June 29, 2023 by Bobster.
add the bit about nickel