Posted on 07/02/2018 11:21:04 AM PDT by Simon Green
Europe is the midst of a severe CO2 (carbon dioxide) shortage. One result is a shortage of dry ice, which impacts an airlines ability to offer ice cream onboard. Now, airlines like United have been forced to suspend ice cream sundae service on flights out of London.
Without getting too technical or boring you to death, most CO2 used for food-processing is created in ammonia plants in Europe. These plants are predominantly in the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands and France. The biggest use for CO2 is in fertilizers, with demand peaking during the cooler months. Consequently, many plants shut down for maintenance during this time to prepare for the busy season.
But that creates a problem for meat, soft drink and dry ice manufacturers, since their demand is highest during the summer months. With so many plants currently offline, some beer and soft drink manufactures have been forced to slow production. Meanwhile, dry ice has become an increasingly scarcer commodity.
United business class passengers are receiving the following emails prior to their flights:
Unfortunately, because of a break in the system that produces dry ice throughout Europe, we will not have it available to keep the ice cream cold on your flight. As a result, we will be serving another dessert option for you to enjoy. Were sorry for any inconvenience this might cause and we look forward to seeing you onboard.
Thus far, the substitute dessert has usually been a chocolate mousse.
I thought Co2 is a greenhouse gas.
Beer Shortage Looms in Europe As CO2 Supply Dwindles
This is SERIOUS!
Are there enough lemon soaked paper napkins?
That settles it. I’m cancelling my flight to London and back right now!
It’s minus 35 outsideat 30,000 feet, easy solution, just store the ice cream on the wing and then go get it when you need it. Duh.
I don't think it had a commercial ice plant until after WWI.
Yes. I know. I was being facetious. First World Problem, not being able to have your ice cream. ;)
That will kill the demand for CO2 even more.
But...but... isn’t CO2 the Evil Global Warming gas?
Shouldn’t we be happy that there is a CO2 shortage?
I remember an interesting problem in thermodynamics about 45 years ago. Why can’t you just let some of that -65F air in to cool the cabin. I recall something called “stagnation temperature.”
I had a history professor in college that told us a story about his time in Burma during WWII. Everybody got a ration of beer, but it was hot as hades, and who wants to drink hot beer. So, being the ingenious type, they would load up a bomber full of beer, take off and go fly around for awhile near the planes ceiling altitude. Where it was coincidentally, very cold outside. The bombers weren’t pressurized,so after an hour or so, they’d land and voila, cold beer for everyone. He said he often wondered how much it cost the government to cool the beer for everyone taking into account the av gas and everything else. But it was worth it to them to get caught.
In typical fashion the media got the whole thing wrong.
In most?( all I have been to) fertilizer plants CO2 is a byproduct of making ammonia. Ammonia is the main ingredient. If the plant is shut down then they are not making ammonia and no CO2. All the plants I have been to had very large liquid CO2 tank(s). That way the food grade supply of CO2 wasn’t disrupted. There are not too many ammonia plants left in Europe. I believe the u.k. only had one left.
If the plant only had one tank and they happen to be making a repair or something else that requires them to empty the tank there would be no other reserves unless they brought in temporary storage, likely not worth the money, nor hassle, as there isn’t alot of money in CO2. I wonder if they had an unscheduled event happen and they have been down longer than planned or something else is effecting them.
That’s the problem with globalization. The effects that no one thinks about are the ones that get them. I have seen it a lot over the years.
THAT’S HIM!!! That’s the moose that bit my sister.
The Global Warming people have no sense of humor.
“And this is Deja Vu.”
“Haven’t we met before?”
LOL lot of laughs in that movie.
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