Current solutions to reduce the impact that cars have on CO2 emissions are focused around finding replacements for cars or for the fuels that cars use. This can be in the form of bikes, public transport or other cleaner fuels.
Alternatives to Cars
For those who would rather not use public transport or need to make a fairly short journey, walking or riding a bike may be the more environmentally friendly option. 'Boris bikes', for example, have been introduced to the City of London to encourage people to lead a healthier lifestyle. There are, however, risks from being directly exposed to air pollution.
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Photosynthesis Bikes
A photosynthesis bike may be the next step from riding bikes, as it is able to purify the surrounding air at the same time using a specially designed air filter attached to the handles. The filtered air is released towards the cyclist, meaning that the inhalation of harmful substances is avoided. However, the volume of air being filtered may be very small, and the lithium-ion batteries used could also pose health risks.
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Alterative Fuels
Hydrogen Powered Vehicles
Scientists have been developing hydrogen-powered engines, which produce no pollutants. No CO2 will be produced because the concept is:
Hydrogen + Oxygen -> Water,
which is the only bi-product. However, there are concerns about the safety and storage of hydrogen along with the issue of finding a supply of hydrogen to burn in the car engines. For electrolysis to occur, we need electricity, it would be generated by burning fossil fuels. So even though we are making energy using hydrogen, we are still burning fossil fuels to allow this to happen.
Instead, a hydrogen fuel cell would be an efficient alternative, where hydrogen and oxygen would be fed into the cells to produce water; the energy released in the reaction is transferred to electrical energy to power the car. However, the hydrogen needed in the fuel cell would need to be in constant supply to allow it to continuously run.
Hydrogen + Oxygen -> Water,
which is the only bi-product. However, there are concerns about the safety and storage of hydrogen along with the issue of finding a supply of hydrogen to burn in the car engines. For electrolysis to occur, we need electricity, it would be generated by burning fossil fuels. So even though we are making energy using hydrogen, we are still burning fossil fuels to allow this to happen.
Instead, a hydrogen fuel cell would be an efficient alternative, where hydrogen and oxygen would be fed into the cells to produce water; the energy released in the reaction is transferred to electrical energy to power the car. However, the hydrogen needed in the fuel cell would need to be in constant supply to allow it to continuously run.
Electric Cars
There could be many alternatives to the mode of transport that we use, such as hybrid and electric cars, as it seems like vehicles are the main causes of CO2 emission. Electric cars are zero emission and hybrid cars run with both electricity and fuel. Similar to conventional cars, hybrids have an internal combustion engine as a source of power, but also have an electric motor and battery, so the car could be “partially or wholly powered by electricity”.
Concerns with electirc cars is when manufacturing them as the process to make the electric cars would double the greenhouse effect compared to a conventional car. Another point of concern is the irony that electric cars are used to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, but this intention is contradicted as the electricity they consume is produced predominantly by coal-fired power stations. Another problem is the time it takes for the electric cars to re-charge in order to drive a reasonable distance compared to a conventional car. Compared to the small size of the gas tank in a conventional car, the bulky batteries in electric cars are worth around $20,000 and can take up excess space.
Concerns with electirc cars is when manufacturing them as the process to make the electric cars would double the greenhouse effect compared to a conventional car. Another point of concern is the irony that electric cars are used to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, but this intention is contradicted as the electricity they consume is produced predominantly by coal-fired power stations. Another problem is the time it takes for the electric cars to re-charge in order to drive a reasonable distance compared to a conventional car. Compared to the small size of the gas tank in a conventional car, the bulky batteries in electric cars are worth around $20,000 and can take up excess space.