Carbon neutral

[dunfixing]

Hi just read about government plans on making the UK carbon neutral by 2050.

so how can we make a canal boat carbon neural? Well apparently going hybrid or electric, electric boat running on solar power, (in the winter ? No chance) in heavy cloud ? Perhaps they think we can store enough electricity in the summer to run in the winter,I think not .

how about charging points every few miles (would only take 8 hours per boat) no chance,

i know let’s go horse powered, oh no can’t do that , horses produce methane not environmentally friendly, that just leaves diesel as the most effective power source. Far less polluting in the long run.

?????

[Tumshie]

 

[cuthound]

27 minutes ago, dunfixing said:

Hi just read about government plans on making the UK carbon neutral by 2050.

so how can we make a canal boat carbon neural? Well apparently going hybrid or electric, electric boat running on solar power, (in the winter ? No chance) in heavy cloud ? Perhaps they think we can store enough electricity in the summer to run in the winter,I think not .

how about charging points every few miles (would only take 8 hours per boat) no chance,

i know let’s go horse powered, oh no can’t do that , horses produce methane not environmentally friendly, that just leaves diesel as the most effective power source. Far less polluting in the long run.

?????

 

 

I think you will find all the answers (and more) in this thread. ?

 

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

54 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

 

I think you will find all the answers (and more) in this thread. ?

 

 

And a lot about voles too!

 

TL:DR

In summary, the idea is that if we go back to towing from the bank side, but with a tiny battery powered tractor, rather than a horse, then the amount of power required is anything up to a tenth that required to power an electric boat with a propeller and on board batteries. You then need fewer solar panels on the boat in summer to recharge the tractor and fewer charging points, for less long in winter to cruise then. All year boating, but you have to relearn many of the skills the old horse boaters had, but without the horses.

 

Jen

Edited August 20, 2019 by Jen-in-Wellies

[mrsmelly]

35 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

 

Nothing to do with his shall we call them " Interests " in solar energy then? What was it the judge remarked about him after his failed libel case ?

[furnessvale]

With current technology, things like steelmaking need coke for production.  Therefore you can never eliminate the primary use of carbon.

 

The best we can hope for is carbon neutrality by offsetting essential use.  I have seen narrowboats that look like the hanging gardens of Babylon.  If we all do that, will we be able to claim offsetting?

 

George

[MtB]

1 hour ago, dunfixing said:

Hi just read about government plans on making the UK carbon neutral by 2050.

so how can we make a canal boat carbon neural? Well apparently going hybrid or electric, electric boat running on solar power, (in the winter ? No chance) in heavy cloud ? Perhaps they think we can store enough electricity in the summer to run in the winter,I think not .

how about charging points every few miles (would only take 8 hours per boat) no chance,

i know let’s go horse powered, oh no can’t do that , horses produce methane not environmentally friendly, that just leaves diesel as the most effective power source. Far less polluting in the long run.

?????

 

There are at least three threads running now that discuss this in tedious and sometimes bad tempered detail. 

 

Did you not see them ??!! 

 

Edit to add:

one seems to have gone...

 

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by Mike the Boilerman

[roland elsdon]

By 2050 I will have gone to by final mooring hopefully at least  partly transported in a sodding great cloud of diesel on one of my old boats.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

15 minutes ago, furnessvale said:

The best we can hope for is carbon neutrality by offsetting essential use.  I have seen narrowboats that look like the hanging gardens of Babylon.  If we all do that, will we be able to claim offsetting?

That is going to be my excuse for the mature tree growing from my boats stern fender. Carbon offsetting. ?

[Chewbacka]

2 hours ago, dunfixing said:

Hi just read about government plans on making the UK carbon neutral by 2050.

so how can we make a canal boat carbon neural? Well apparently going hybrid or electric, electric boat running on solar power, (in the winter ? No chance) in heavy cloud ? Perhaps they think we can store enough electricity in the summer to run in the winter,I think not .

how about charging points every few miles (would only take 8 hours per boat) no chance,

i know let’s go horse powered, oh no can’t do that , horses produce methane not environmentally friendly, that just leaves diesel as the most effective power source. Far less polluting in the long run.

?????

Because by 2050 the locks will have been closed and canals narrowed for fishing and human powered craft only with wide fast cycle tracks along one side and footpath along the other.

[cuthound]

11 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

Because by 2050 the locks will have been closed and canals narrowed for fishing and human powered craft only with wide fast cycle tracks along one side and footpath along the other.

 

I hope not, my garden backs onto the canals and Mrs Hound would be dismayed if walkers or cyclists damaged her flowers! ?

[dunfixing]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

And a lot about voles too!

 

TL:DR

In summary, the idea is that if we go back to towing from the bank side, but with a tiny battery powered tractor, rather than a horse, then the amount of power required is anything up to a tenth that required to power an electric boat with a propeller and on board batteries. You then need fewer solar panels on the boat in summer to recharge the tractor and fewer charging points, for less long in winter to cruise then. All year boating, but you have to relearn many of the skills the old horse boaters had, but without the horses.

 

Jen

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to tow from the towpath, bridge hoppers, cc’s that don’t move, towpath Napton to Wigrams turn only  half a metre wide, I don’t think so.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, dunfixing said:

Hi just read about government plans on making the UK carbon neutral by 2050.

so how can we make a canal boat carbon neural? Well apparently going hybrid or electric, electric boat running on solar power, (in the winter ? No chance) in heavy cloud ? Perhaps they think we can store enough electricity in the summer to run in the winter,I think not .

how about charging points every few miles (would only take 8 hours per boat) no chance,

i know let’s go horse powered, oh no can’t do that , horses produce methane not environmentally friendly, that just leaves diesel as the most effective power source. Far less polluting in the long run.

?????

There is no given right to boat, if they do away with diesel engines and you cant manage on the alternatives you will just have to find another hobby

 

[dunfixing]

1 hour ago, furnessvale said:

With current technology, things like steelmaking need coke for production.  Therefore you can never eliminate the primary use of carbon.

 

The best we can hope for is carbon neutrality by offsetting essential use.  I have seen narrowboats that look like the hanging gardens of Babylon.  If we all do that, will we be able to claim offsetting?

 

George

Nice one

[frangar]

By 2050 I shall be an even grumpier sod in a old folks home at best moaning even more about how life was so much better when we burnt fuel for fun!! 

 

Why worry really because by then our politicians will have made sure we’ve blown each other up! 

[tree monkey]

5 minutes ago, dunfixing said:

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to tow from the towpath, bridge hoppers, cc’s that don’t move, towpath Napton to Wigrams turn only  half a metre wide, I don’t think so.

Which is my vole idea is simply genius 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

13 minutes ago, dunfixing said:

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to tow from the towpath, bridge hoppers, cc’s that don’t move, towpath Napton to Wigrams turn only  half a metre wide, I don’t think so.

Which is why you need to read the rest of it, rather than the TLDR version, where all that is covered. Including all the stuff about voles.

 

Jen

[Murflynn]

foolish Ms May insisted the target was ZERO carbon, which is of course impossible. 

[cuthound]

10 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Which is my vole idea is simply genius 

 

Especially is you lots of them into a hamster wheels to generate enough electrickery to drive an electric motor.

 

Course they would have to be well trained so you could order them to spped up, slow down or reverse. ?

[tree monkey]

Just now, cuthound said:

 

Especially is you lots of them into a hamster wheels to generate enough electrickery to drive an electric motor.

 

Course they would have to be well trained so you could order them to spped up, slow down or reverse. ?

Nahh, that just introduces generation loss, direct drive is the way, getting them trained to harness is the trick

[cuthound]

3 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Nahh, that just introduces generation loss, direct drive is the way, getting them trained to harness is the trick

 

What about giving them scuba gear and have them running around in a stern mounted paddle wheel? ? ?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 minute ago, cuthound said:

 

What about giving them scuba gear and have them running around in a stern mounted paddle wheel? ? ?

Just use water voles. No scuba gear required. ?

[cuthound]

1 minute ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Just use water voles. No scuba gear required. ?

 

?Now why didn't I think of that?

[tree monkey]

1 minute ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Just use water voles. No scuba gear required. ?

Jen gets it.

 

Breeding season is a bit of an issue, they do get distracted, so either no boating or a small snip will sort the issue out

[Rob-M]

Just needs a bit of genetic engineering to align breeding season with winter moorings.