Alternative Fuels
This day in age, one of the world’s main concerns is energy. Currently, we rely on petroleum to run our cars, and household central heat, and electricity in our homes. Petroleum is not only limited, but it is also dirtying up the world’s air, and depleting the ozone layer as it is burned. Alternative fuels are one of the worlds most talked about issues, and many solutions have been brought forth, yet none of them have been sophisticatedly acted upon. Through the list of pros and cons, one shall determine the importance of alternative fuels, and how bad the pros outweigh the cons, thus forcing the reality of the matter that we need to start moving towards these alternate forms of energy, and
…show more content…
These are seen throughout the Great Plains, and many other flats. These are generally not powerful enough, unless they are built in large numbers. Many times, around two hundred are built in one area, to produce for the nearest city or town. Although these do produce some good, usable energy, as with all things, they have some problems. Wind does not always blow, and when the wind stops, so does the energy. Sun is not always shining, for solar energy, but they have cells to store energy for nightfall. Wind Turbines are also a big concern for birds. Migrating or locals, flying birds of all kinds are in danger from a twenty-food diameter of spinning death. This has been a concern of PETA and other animal protection agencies (CNN).
Another type of fuel is Biofuel. This type of energy is produced through different types of wastes. Potato peels, whey, turkey guts, and frying oil are all types of wastes that can be converted into biofuel. This is a relatively new scientific breakthrough in the hunt for a more efficient energy source. The good thing about using biofuel is that it is clean, and can get rid of our wastes, while benefiting us. Acid rain, caused by modern petroleum engines, would be non existent when biofuels are burned. The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of acid rain. Many people have already started doing this and have found a source of pre-biofuel. They buy converters for their diesel engines for about one
Wind energy is clean and renewable. The wind is never going to stop blowing; therefore, there will always be enough to keep the turbines going. While some areas may have more wind than others, there is always wind. Wind turbines do not produce any pollution or waste, making them one of the cleanest energy sources on the planet. However, environmentalists are concerned that with the increase of wind turbines, bird populations with decrease because they are getting hit by the wind turbines and dying. Because of the huge poles in the ground, turbines can cause erosion and disrupt wildlife habitats. Wind turbines are also huge; at 30 meters (100 feet) above the ground, with large spinning blades, they can be a bit of an eyesore. They are also loud and have a deep buffeting sound. But the idea is that the large wind farms will be located in the middle of nowhere so they don’t cause an issue in suburban areas. Small wind turbines may be located in backyards to feed houses directly, but these would be so small that they wouldn’t bother any
The U.S obtains more than 84% of its energy from fossil fuels including oil, coal and natural gas. This is because people rely on it to heat their homes, power industries, run vehicles, manufacturing, and provision of electricity. It is apparent that the country’s transportation industry highly depends on conventional petroleum oil, which is responsible for global warming, thus threatening economic opulence and national security. Apart from that, increasing consumption of fossil fuels have elevated health problems in the state, destroyed wild places, and polluted the environment. After conducting Environmental Impact Assessment, projections showed that the world energy consumption would increase by more than 56% between 2010 and 2040. However, fossil fuels will cater for more than 80% of the total energy used in 2040. Sadly, it will be a trajectory to alter the world’s climate, as well as, weaken the global security environment. Importantly, the rate at which the US relies on fossil fuels needs to reduce since it has adverse effects on the planet’s supplies. The society needs to realize that fossil fuels are nonrenewable, thus taking millions of years to form (Huebner, 2003). Notably, the country can reduce dependency on fossil fuels by practicing energy conservation and efficiency,
Petroleum has been a mainstay of the United State's economy for almost a century. However, oil has now been recognized as a strong catalyst for global warming, it is becoming scarce and therefore, an expensive necessity to America's economy. In the recent years many universities and scientists have looked for alternatives to oil in the form of renewable energies. These renewable energy sources would be cheaper in the long run, more efficient and environmentally clean. America as a whole must look into these new forms of renewable energy to determine if they are a practical alternative to the use of petroleum as an energy source. If we do not try to find a clean and efficient alternative to fossil fuels, I am concerned
Diesel is the fuel of choice in the European automotive market, due to the fact that it provides high-torque, efficient alternative to gasoline. The American view of diesel, however, is much less positive overall – most Americans remember the noisy, smoky diesels of decades past and know little about the quiet, clean diesels of the present. One of the best arguments for the switch to diesel fuel in the United States is that a fueling infrastructure is already in place, as transportation companies rely on diesel fuel to distribute goods across the United States (Is Diesel). This would negate the need to construct an entirely new infrastructure, which could cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Diesel is also considerably more environmentally friendly than gasoline, due to the fact that it is less refined (a process which uses large amounts of energy) and that it is more efficient than gasoline (ACEA). The combustion process in a diesel engine, which exerts high pressure on the fuel to ignite it, is the source of the motor’s increased
Oil, gas, and fossil fuels have been recent controversial issues. There are cleaner forms of energy that could be used, but it is unclear what sources should be used and how to
These sources of energy have a great upside, but right now are incredibly inefficient compared with fossil fuels because of the lack of funding and worldly push (2009). If there isn’t a bigger investment in these alternative energies, fossil fuels are going to maintain their stranglehold on all the economies of the world (Lomborg, 2009).
Being such a necessary and overused resource makes it a hotly contested subject and global issue. The United States is one of the biggest importers and users of oil in the world, which makes our need of it a major influence on several global markets. Our heavy reliance on dirty fuels, as well as every other industrialized country in the world, will lead to massive effects on the climate of our Earth. This in addition, has led to violence and war, particularly in the Middle East, over the ownership and distribution of oil and other energy resources, which in the end only serves to profit big oil industries. This problem will not stop or slow down, as the demand for energy will only increase as the world’s population and global economy continues to expand. For mainly these reasons, which will be handled more in-depth throughout this paper, the need for clean alternative energy is paramount and must be addressed within the foreseeable future should we otherwise suffer the consequences.
The world right now is facing a major disaster if our habits don’t change. Fossil fuels dominate our energy demand and at our current rate this will remain true for quite some time. The World Energy outlook claims that by 2030 84% of our energy demands will be fulfilled by fossil fuels (Shafiee et al, 181). It is believed that we possess the reserves to meet our demands until 2030 (Shafiee et al, 181) but the cost will increase as time goes on. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource, meaning that once we run out of what’s currently available, we cannot replenish it. Our future energy needs are heavily dependent on a non-renewable and quickly depleting energy source.
For over forty years now, scientists and researchers have been tirelessly searching for an alternative to fossil fuels. Biofuels have become an interesting contender in the search for the replacement of the non-renewable energy source. Biofuels have been used throughout history for over thousands of years. There is a large debate over biofuels and its true impact on the environment. Those involved in the discussion debating whether biofuels have any real overwhelming benefits compared to fossil fuels could argue for its usage. According to recent research performed by the University of Michigan, biofuels may not be the best alternative for fossil fuels. Regardless of its impact on the environment, biofuels are becoming more popular particularly when the price of oil rises.
Our modern world is one of busy streets, loud machines, and steaming factories. All three of these things, while necessary and important part of society, have some unintended effects on the world. We sometimes fail to realize the effect that we have on the world with every action that we take. The people of the world, in collaboration, are massive users of fossil fuels. The gas emissions that cars, busses, and even planes produce have a very profound effect on our atmosphere, and not many people take the initiative to reduce these harmful substances. However, there are some that are actively trying to find a solution to the problem to cleaner and renewable energy.
Well we all know that the energy system is very unstable because the total energy available on the earth is limited, and man has exploited all the conventional technologies to fulfill his needs. By the use of these conventional technologies, the world also has a disability, with problems such as global warming. Consumption of energy by man increased gradually as his wants also increase. The conventional energy resources mainly include fossil fuels, but research shows that this fuel source will be depleted completely in approximately 20-25 years. This could cause major setbacks around the world. As a result, we need an alternative source of fuel that could keep the world running on its wheel. One possibility is ethanol. Chemically extract
Over the past several years, scientists have researched the impact fossil fuels currently have on our world today. These sources of energy have an irreversible and devastating consequence on our environment. Fossil fuels are disliked due to being non-renewable and unsustainable. As more technological advancements have occurred, more efforts have arisen related to replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy. Due to the integration of existing technology the public has become reluctant to adopt new energy technologies. Renewable energy brings many desirable health, environmental, and economic benefits. These renewable methods may ultimately provide a brighter future for generations to come.
In order to sustain our country and economy, we need to consider what alternatives we can turn to when there are no more fossil fuels left. If Americans are pro-active about this, then we can eliminate this issues. Car companies have already considered this and started to produce cars that do not rely on fuel as much. A great example of this would be the Chevrolet Volt. This car runs on both electricity and fuel, and can go up to 900 miles in between fill ups (Chevrolet Volt (2014). Retrieved from http://www.chevrolet.com/volt-electric-car.html?%3Fseo=ysm_%7C_GM+Chevy+Retention-X9223686_%7C_GI-RTN-Chevrolet-Car-BP-SN-Exact_%7C_Chevrolet+Car_%7C_chevrolet+car ). We need to develop transportation that doesn’t rely on fuel at all and can run on renewable
Fossil fuels are an important part of life. When you turn on the lights, watch TV, or take a shower, the electricity that you are using is being generated by fossil fuels. The three types of fossil fuels are coal, crude oil, and natural gas. They all take millions of years to form, so they are considered to be “non-renewable”- eventually, the fossil fuels will all be used up. One dangerous biological effect of using fossil fuels is ocean acidification. Extracting and transporting fossil fuels can also be very dangerous. Environmentally damaging accidents such as groundwater contamination, land subsidence, and oil spills occur frequently. Global warming is another possible environmental effect. Fossil fuels have a crucial role in modern
Finding energy sources is an issue that polarizes scientists, politicians and citizens alike. The most critical points of this debate are at fossil fuels and renewable energy. Energy efficiency is arguably the most dire concern facing the planet, because it significantly impacts all areas of everyday life. Common ground can be found in this controversy because both parties do agree that humans have a responsibility to future generations. That responsibility is to preserve the resources of the Earth, while offering this generation energy that is affordable and accessible.