Earth Day thought

[thwart]

From Lennard Zinn, courtesy of VeloNews:

Dear Lennard,
With just about every bicycle part being made out of carbon fiber these days, I was wondering if the carbon fiber could be recycled. I like the idea of steel, aluminum, and titanium being able to be recycled and reused. I'd hate to see all this expensive carbon fiber end up sitting around in landfills for generations to come.
Cynthia

Dear Cynthia,
Well, I called Eric Lombardi, director of Eco-Cycle, Boulder County’s groundbreaking (and country’s largest community-based) recycling program that recycles an amazingly diverse number of materials. He says that he knows of no recycling that is being done with parts made out of carbon fiber, and he’s as much of an expert on the subject as anyone I know.
Lennard

Yet another argument for good ol' steel. ;)

[fiamme red]

Yet another argument for good ol' steel. ;)Or aluminum.

Cannondales = past and future beer cans ;)

[sg8357]

In an ancient Bridgestone catalog there is an article about the energy costs to make Al, Ti and steel.

Ti was the worst, then Al, steel was the least energy intensive.

This was before Calfee started using bamboo, hemp and cow horns to
make bike frames. :)

[fiamme red]

In an ancient Bridgestone catalog there is an article about the energy costs to make Al, Ti and steel.

Ti was the worst, then Al, steel was the least energy intensive.

This was before Calfee started using bamboo, hemp and cow horns to
make bike frames. :)Here you go: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1994/index.htm

The article starts with "Metal Making," page 51, five rows from the bottom.

[false_Aest]

This was before Calfee started using bamboo, hemp and cow horns to
make bike frames. :)

One has to wonder what the enviro. impact of the glue/epoxy is and how much methane is produced by the cows and how much fertilizer is used to grow the corn that causes the ulcers in the cow and how much gas was used to get the corn to the cow and how much gas was used to get the bamboo to the factory and . . . think about the pandas who eat the bamboo!!!

[Karin Kirk]

Too bad you can't pull carbon out of the atmosphere to make carbon fiber bikes. Then you could have a negative footprint.

I did hear about a Chinese coal plant that was stripping out CO2 for use in carbonated beverages. So perhaps we can lower the footprint of Coke?

[flydhest]

Too bad you can't pull carbon out of the atmosphere to make carbon fiber bikes. Then you could have a negative footprint.

I did hear about a Chinese coal plant that was stripping out CO2 for use in carbonated beverages. So perhaps we can lower the footprint of Coke?

just don't burp or else all that effort is wasted.

[csm]

Too bad you can't pull carbon out of the atmosphere to make carbon fiber bikes. Then you could have a negative footprint.

I did hear about a Chinese coal plant that was stripping out CO2 for use in carbonated beverages. So perhaps we can lower the footprint of Coke?
given the Chinese pattern of food processing lately I'm not sure I'd be trusting coal by-product use to be safe.

[RPS]

Earth Day thought I'm waiting for a hybrid bicycle in any material that works better than my old-fashioned one.

Turn the pedals, drive a generator, charge a battery, power motors in the hubs, etc.... No shifters, chain, derailleurs, cassette, etc... Everything electrical or electronic and sealed maintenance free.

I can just feel the regen braking on what would have been a fast downhill. Not as much fun but that next uphill should be much easier. :rolleyes:

[1centaur]

If you view a CF frame as 2lbs of plastic that gets reused thousands of times while improving health and mental well-being and keeping the air cleaner than alternative time spent often does it's a little easier to rank the frame among the environmental atrocities we foist upon the earth across our lifetimes. In fact, all the derivatives of Serotta forum usage might rank worse.

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal today or yesterday (shades of Camus?) that mentioned a Dutch town that was afraid of CO2 sequestration in their neighborhood because they did not want to be guinea pigs for an unproven technology. The producer of CO2 also was already using some of the gas for carbonating drinks.

[Climb01742]

picking up on what 1centaur said, no matter what a bike is made of, i would say it is a friend to the planet. and the more it is used, the friendlier it is to the earth. the question posed to zinn seems a bit of a red herring.

[rwsaunders]

According to the UN, livestock accounts for 18% of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions, ranking above cars and planes. That percentage is expected to double over the next 30-35 years as beef and pork consumption increases.

[Marcusaurelius]

Hmmm, well that is a tough one. Yes carbon fiber is not the best for the environment and steel would be better but do I want to give up my carbon fork? I don't mind giving up all the carbon fiber bicycle bits but the fork?

If I was truly committed I would give up carbon fiber but I don't think my actions will do a huge amount of damage. And yes it does sound an awfully like a cop out.

[fiamme red]

Ti was the worst, then Al, steel was the least energy intensive.The people at Seven must have never read that catalog. Their "Earth Day commuter model" is titanium. ;)

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/seven-cycles-offers-earth-day-commuter-model-21080

"For US$5,900, you can be the proud owner of a 15-pound beauty, highlighted with Chris King components, Seven’s titanium Tiberius bar, titanium stem and new titanium seatpost, Carbon Drive belt drivetrain, Crankbrothers Cobalt crankset, bamboo fenders and Mavic Open Pro/Chris King wheelset with No Tubes road kit."