This is What’s Trending Today…
Britain has long been known for its love of tea, but people in London also drink a lot of coffee.
In fact, the average Londoner reportedly drinks 2.3 cups of coffee every day.
And now, waste coffee grounds will be used to help fuel part of the city’s transportation system.
People take photos of the new routemaster double decker bus as it arrives at Victoria bus station in London on its first first day of service, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
A technology company announced on Monday that some buses will be using a biofuel that contains coffee oil.
The company, Bio-bean, and its partner, Argent Energy, say they have made enough coffee oil to power one of London’s famous double-decker buses for a year.
The announcement made Bio-bean a trending story on social media.
The government agency Transport for London has been turning to biofuels to cut production of carbon emissions. A carbon emission is a gas produced by the burning of carbon. The gas is released into the atmosphere.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said last month that his city has a “health crisis….caused directly by poor-quality air.” The government has taken steps to discourage people from driving cars that do not meet European Union emissions requirements.
Bio-bean said Londoners produce over 200,000 tons of coffee ground waste a year. The company said it collects waste grounds from chain coffee shops and factories. The grounds are dried and processed to remove the coffee oil.
“It’s a great example of what can be done when we start to reimagine waste as an untapped resource,” said Bio-bean founder’s Arthur Kay.
The coffee fuel technology has been received support from the oil company Royal Dutch Shell.
And that’s What’s Trending Today….
I’m Ashley Thompson.
Reuters reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English, with additional materials. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
cup – n. a small round container that often has a handle and that is used for drinking liquids (such as tea and coffee)
emissions – n. something sent out or given off
chain – n. a group of businesses (such as stores, restaurants, or hotels) that have the same name and basic appearance and sell the same products or services
untapped – adj. available but not used (untapped resources)
discourage – v. to try to make people not want to do (something)