August 21 , 2006
OPINIONSLegend's View:
Alternative fuels lack investment from corporate America
Quite the classic oxymoron America has right now. We cannot afford to get to work because gas is too expense, yet if we do not go to work, we do not have any money.
We have dug ourselves quite the hole by becoming so dependent on imported oil. But it is not as if there are no other options.
Alternative fuel offers a solution. However, it is a solution that is taking the back seat to the oil war. “Alternative fuels” include biodiesel, natural gas, ethanol, propane, electricity, methanol and p-series fuels.
First, take a look at natural gas. It is clean burning, produces far less emissions, and is domestically produced and ready available. It is made domestically, in a process that takes pertroleum gas and makes it “diet”.
The only set back is that your vehicle has to be natural gas ready, which most common cars are not.
Another popular choice of alternative fuel seems to be biodiesel. Biodiesel fuel reduces carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases, by 75%. It is less combustable, safe to handle, store and transport.
If America decided to switch to Biodiesel fuel at this moment, no extra equipment would have to be installed or bought and it can directly replace petroleum products.To translate that last statement, biodiesel fuel reduces the entire country’s dependency on importated oil.
Here’s the kicker – biodiesel is manufactured from vegatable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases; in other words, all the stuff that we should consume less of or should not be consuming at all.
One bushel of soybeans can produce about 1.4 gallons of Biodiesel fuel and last year the U.S. yielded about 2.6 billion bushels of soybeans.It is less flammable, nontoxic, biodegradable and can be used in almost all vechiles on today’s market because it operates in compression-ignition engines.
Instead of complaining that gas prices are to high, start spreading the word about alternative fuel.
“Alternative fuel” no longer means “give me a ride” or “let’s go sell some CD’s and videos to get gas money”.Complaining about gas prices is nothing new. They will rise and they will fall but no matter what they always manage to have some sort of cosmic link to our emotions.
Why pay attention to alternative fuel? The questions becomes, “why not?”
We never get anywhere by just standing around complaining about the nation and wishing it was better. We have to act.. Change starts with something that simple.
The alternative fuel revolution that (hopefully) will start, should not block the classic ways of saving on gas.
Carpooling, bus rides, cutting back on joy riding, getting a bike at the nearest garage sale and not blasting the air conditioning. Maybe driving a better, fuel efficient car or looking into good ol’ walking.
Bottom line is stop holding onto that security blanket; think outside the box; the grass is greener on the other side. Give alternative fuels a chance.