One of the biggest polluters on the planet comes in the form of cars. It is bad enough that there are cars on the roads that barely pass the safety inspection regarding their emissions, but there are also racing cars to consider, as their special blends of fuel created to allow for some incredible speeds is not without impact on the atmosphere. Luckily, many racing organizations are doing their part and one of them is Formula 1, which plans to go carbon neutral by 2030.
The Innovations
This pledge might seem too ambitious at first until you consider the fact that F1 has been a pioneer in using cutting-edge technology in practical settings. The goal for the organization now is to improve its logistics and maintain, if not improve, the speed by using renewable resources. F1 cars are already fuel-efficient, with their thermal efficiency rating going up to 50%, as opposed to the average road car with a rating of 30%. What does this rating mean? This percentage shows how much of the fuel is turned into power.
In other words, F1 is already on its way to making engines that utilize more power for fewer resources. They already use hybrid engines and plan on continuing to do so until 2025, when they expect there will be improvements leading to a carbon net of zero by 2030. So, to sum up: Formula One expects to come up with engine designs that will use up even more, if not all, of the fuel their cars can take, leading to a smaller, hopefully non-existent, amount of carbon emissions.
Outside the Track
Making a car that can go faster while using less of the fuel is already quite an achievement, but it is not enough to protect the planet. Because of this, F1 has come up with a plan and schedule that will allow them to convert their pits, factories, and offices into environmentally-friendly areas. Single-use plastics will be completely banned and other resources will be recycled and recyclable.
Can It Be Done?
The plan is certainly an ambitious one, but it is far from unattainable. This isn’t a spontaneous decision or a simple PR stunt – the good people at F1 have been working tirelessly for the past twelve months with FIA, their partners, and sustainability experts in an effort to come up with an achievable goal. The promise of creating sustainable racing events by 2025 doesn’t seem so far-fetched, seeing as how the plan is already underway and it is going to be released on F1’s official website. Here’s hoping the plan works.