The consortium group has assumed that a bus transport system in Snowdonia would be of benefit to the environment.  This short document shows that the bus system proposed would be of no benefit and most likely, be more damaging.

Background

The table below shows the minimum number of passengers required on a diesel bus before it is less damaging to the environment than a diesel car with four passengers.

                                    L. Pelkmans et al¹

Notice that in terms of CO_2, which affects global warming, there must be at least 19 passengers on the bus before it is less damaging than the car.  In terms of NO_x emissions, which can react to cause acid rain and ozone, then a staggering 52 passengers are required.

The study also shows that a natural gas powered bus requires equivalent passengers to a diesel bus when comparing fuel consumption and CO₂.  Lean burn natural gas buses, that are becoming popular, increase emissions considerably. Shown below.

L. Pelkmans et al¹

A petrol car can be less damaging to the environment than a diesel car as shown by the table below, taken from UK government figures.  The numbers in the table can be compared to obtain a relative impact of each on the environment.  Looking at the table the emission of NO_x for a bus is 72 times more than that of a petrol car hence, 72 times more damaging to the environment.

Euro III vehicle standards.²

From this study it appears that neither the natural gas bus nor the diesel bus are good alternatives to the car as they require a very high number of passengers to be less damaging to the environment.

Conclusion

We can conclude that the bus is not the answer to the transport problem.  A bus may be advantageous where a guaranteed number of passengers is available but not in a rural environment where the time of day and weather conditions are critical to passenger number wishing to travel.

The solution to the problem lies with efficient and sustainable small transport units and parking. The solution is the car and environmentally friendly parking.  A car becomes efficient and sustainable when the fuel is sustainable.  Bio-diesel is one such fuel.  Details of the impact of bio-diesel are given below.  Well designed and constructed car parks cause very little environmental impact.

Bio-diesel

Bio-diesel is a fuel that can be classed as sustainable energy.  The graph below shows the change in vehicle emissions when using bio-diesel.   All emissions are reduced ranging from 10% to 100%.  It is important to realise that emissions of CO₂ are reduced by 100% meaning that global warming is not affected by Bio-diesel

            J. Tickell et al³

1. L. Pelkmans et al (2000), Emissions and fuel consumption of natural gas powered city buses versus diesel buses in real-city traffic, Flemish institute for technical research, Belgium.

2. http://www.roads.detr.gov.uk/cvtf/impact/3.htm

3. J. Tickell et al (1999), From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank, Green Teach Publishing.

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