23 July 2008
Alternative Fuel Sources : Our Energy Of The Future
Posted by James Redder under: Fuel And Energy .
If we’re going to be responsible, one of the most important things we should focus on is alternative fuel. Finding new fuel sources could be a vital part of leaving this world in the best shape possible. The environment is being heavily polluted by emissions produced by burning petroleum products. Here are some of the possibilities when it comes to new, alternative fuels.
The conventional and traditional fuel sources are becoming more and more expensive to extract and their indiscriminate use in the past century has resulted in their depletion of oil stores. Alarm bells have already started ringing that these storehouses of natural fuels will reach critically low levels and precipitate a crisis much earlier than we think.
However there are promising discoveries that give hope that before any crisis occurs, mankind would have perfected and commercialized alternate sources of fuel that will be eco-friendly and affordable too.
Bio-diesel is one such alternate fuel source that is extracted from plants into a liquid form. Also known as E 85, bio-diesel is partly renewable. Its contents of 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol mean that it is at least better than using pure gasoline.
Although such alternate fuel sources like E 85 score above gasoline, they still pollute and require a vast amount of corn to be grown which in turn translates into availability of lesser land for growing food for people.
One alternative fuel source that’s viable for transportation is electricity. It’s the best currently available technology when it comes to conserving our existing sources of fuel. The efficiency of these cars is greater even when it comes to using conventional means of generating electricity. That’s because all power can be generated in a central location, instead of in the car itself. Alternate energy sources like wind, water, and sun may be used supplementally or instead of coal and oil to generate electricity, depending on the location.
Of course, one of the ultimate alternative fuel sources is muscle power. Changing over to a bicycle or walking is one excellent way to conserve fuel and get in shape. Since fuel prices keep rising as availability continues to decrease, many people are turning to pedal power in an attempt to curtail their usage. Bio-diesel and E-85 aren’t readily available, and electric cars have their own problems. For a short to medium commute, the bike is an ideal solution.