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OMG ... we're running out of O2 ! 1

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rb1957

rb1957

Aerospace
Apr 15, 2005
15,597
CA
from AW&ST, US airplanes, civil and military, bought (= burnt) 25 billion (US) gallons of fuel in 2008. using round numbers that's 100 billion liters. assume an AFR of 12, so that fuel combined with 1200 billion liters of air. so 240 billion liters of O2 were consumed ... gone.

forget the CO2 produced, each gallon of gas consumes 10 liters of O2 (in nice round numbers, easy for a politician to remember).

we're doomed ... well, of course we are ... at best 1 person has made it out (and come back to tell us) compared with well over 1 billion fails (if they made it out, but didn't come back to tell us, then they don't count !) but what about psychics (communicating with spirits, = people who made it out) ?
 
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Arguably with the clean air act and similar legislation, some governments already do control the air we breathe.

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What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​
 
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yeah well, they are moving from the general to the particular:)
 
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"earth sheltered homes tend to stay cooler than stick built homes" ... but they flood alot easier.

but in the "good old days" people got on well enough without AC ... we've just gotten too soft (or civilised ?).

and i too have been wondering why is diesel all of a sudden become "bad" ?? diesel's are at least more efficient tahn IC engines. maybe it was an "unforeseen undesirable outcome" ... prolification of diesels (greener than IC engines) meant more smoke/particles in the air 'round some greenie politico's home so he decided to out-law them ... (having previously advocated them ?)
 
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Maybe it's that puff of black smoke after each gear change.

Or maybe those loud diesel pickup trucks.

Actually it's not the engine type that is the problem, it's the fuel. Any engine burning a dirty fuel, will produce dirty exaust. And even at that, the exaust can be cleaned up. The matter is the energy put into the cleaning.

Also in the good old days, the kids played in the swimming pool. It was the adults who suffered in the heat.
 
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cranky108 said:
It was the adults who suffered in the heat.
Click to expand...

Mother swam with us and napped in the shade, in her chaise lounge, when she felt like it.
 
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rb1957, I know particulates in Diesel emissions are a concern to some. The emission limits on diesels in the US are I believe tighter than in Europe, at least for cars, not sure about trucks.


Not sure if the CO2 out put is higher and can't be bothered to look right now. Certainly mpg should be better.

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Should have made clear, the particulates is diesel fuel, not necessarily the diesel cycle.

I saw an article about a diesel cycle running on CNG or something a while back.

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The otto cycle engine isen't that dirty, if for example it was running on methane, or propane, but gasoline is a dirty fuel.

What seem to be happening here is we are being pushed into smaller less safer cars. The greenies can't see that.

Interesting note is that the cars of the same size don't get much better gas mileage than the older cars did. They just cost more because of the emissions, and safety stuff that has been added.

The other problem is that as the cost of fuel decreases, the usage goes up, but not because of the reduced driving as much as the other off road usages (boats, etc).

But we are not seeing mileage targets added for boats, mini bikes, lawn mowers, etc. However we have seen a reduction of 2 cycle engines.
 
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Less safe than what though, even a modern small car is generally safer than a large car from 50 years ago.

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It certainly is a curious idea to have a few billion space travellers on a spaceship which has the atmosphere on the outside. My first thought would have been some sort of containment. The current design can't survive for long, one way or another.

HAZOP at
 
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in another few billion years it won't matter ...

other comments, fwd to the Chief Architect, c/o the nearest church, forest, empty space, depending on your preference.
 
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If the goverment taxes O2 consumption, can I get money back, or a credit for my lawn of weeds?
 
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