Planet Mechanics
Encyclopedia
Planet Mechanics is a British TV program shown on the National Geographic Channel
. The programme was broadcast on Sunday at 7:00 pm. The show has ended after the first series.
, to fix the planet's most pressing environmental problems.
-mechanical) and produced a larger quantity of CO2 in comparison to standard gasoline
(which has more energy/weight).
However in order to "make" a tree, it collects carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide
) from the atmosphere
, this is the same carbon produced by burning the tree. The wood burning engine is carbon neutral
over a hundred year period as all carbon emitted by the engine would have been released by the slow natural decomposition
of the tree anyway.
When the fossil fuel
gasoline is burned, carbon that has been locked in long term (millions of years) storage is released creating a net increase in atmospheric carbon.
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
. The programme was broadcast on Sunday at 7:00 pm. The show has ended after the first series.
Background
Planet Mechanics sees two engineers, Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stansfield, travelling in an eco-friendly workshop, previously a horse trailerHorse trailer
A horse trailer or horse van is used to transport horses...
, to fix the planet's most pressing environmental problems.
Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
Criticism
While proposing some interesting alternative technologies as ecologically friendly, the real environmental impact and actual life span were never verified. An example is the "tree powered car", which, while interestingly using wood as main power, was less efficient (being a dual transformation process wood-gasWood gas
Wood gas is a syngas fuel which can be used as a fuel for furnaces, stoves and vehicles in place of petrol, diesel or other fuels. During the production process biomass or other carbon-containing materials is gasified within the oxygen-limited environment of a wood gas generator to produce hydrogen...
-mechanical) and produced a larger quantity of CO2 in comparison to standard gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
(which has more energy/weight).
However in order to "make" a tree, it collects carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
) from the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
, this is the same carbon produced by burning the tree. The wood burning engine is carbon neutral
Carbon neutral
Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference...
over a hundred year period as all carbon emitted by the engine would have been released by the slow natural decomposition
Decomposition
Decomposition is the process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death...
of the tree anyway.
When the fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
gasoline is burned, carbon that has been locked in long term (millions of years) storage is released creating a net increase in atmospheric carbon.