Alternative fuels can make Americans less dependent

oil. the life blood of cars, trucks, boats, and planes. it holds the economy within the balance of excavation, production, transformation, transpotation, and distribution. we all need this "black gold" to survive. like gold, it has a price tag. over the past months, we have shown that no matter the price– americans will "shovel out the dough" to get their needed oil. as said before, alternative fuels can be made from the most common elements of local production like corn, wheat, and veggies. also, oils (vegetable oil, including soy, corn, rapeseed (canola), peanut or sunflower ¾ as well as from recycled cooking oil, animal fats or even algae)–greg pahl. we produce these, not the middle east. we also can end the middle man complex. each time oil changes hands— it cost money, those expenses (mostly taxes, fees from transportation and production) are sent on down the chain. we loose those expenses in making the fuel in the country. should the distribution of petroleum be disrupted by a natural disaster or political conflict, alternative fuels should be an escape.Also, if the supply should run out in the Middle East, America has a replacement in alternative fuels. instead of solely relying on oil, we can see clearly the advantages of alternative fuels. they can make us less dependent.

alternative fuels are more “economical”

so we have seen that alternative fuel is cleaner. how can it be more economical? well, let's take a look at some more numbers. every year, american pay over $5 billion in gas tariffs alone— and those taxes aren't going to america, but to middle eastern countries (national biodiesel board). all this money is leaving leaving the country, no wonder why we are paying upwards an average of $4 per gallon. gas companies not only have to pay for the transformation of oil,but also the transpotation of oil and the taxes that come along. they have no choice but to pass that cost to the consumer. ok, alternative fuels. since these are made in the country, all taxes, profits and costs will stay at home. many alternative fuels are made from the most basic sources–such as plants. so these sources are cheep. it's been said that if a 200 million gallon boost in soy bean based fuels would give a boost of $5.2 billion by 2010, and $300 million per year of new income for farmers. so right there, we have seen that alternative fuels are a more economical plan for america. we keep the money in america. even if we still pay taxes on alternative fuels, it stays in america, where it belongs.

Alternative fuels are cleaner

ok, so we all know about global warming and such, but do we really think its a problem? Yes, it is. although the damage is not a total "day after tomorrow" situation, oil can desrtroy land, animals and humans. oil spills for instance can completely destroy an ecosystem within 1 week of a spill. David Helvarg of Popular Science said, “According to figures from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Mineral Management Service … the 1990s saw an average of 243,650 gallons of spilled oil fouling the Gulf’s waters every year." wow, thats a lot of oil, and the number is growing every year. you might say– so what if we have all this oil everywhere… it really doesn't hurt anyone. take a look at the ixtoc spill, an huge oil tanker that exploded. it took months to get the fires out. many divers died trying to put them out. oil is not at all safe for the envrioment.

Alternative fuels are cleaner. some bio-fuels are made from plants and preduce little CO2, a major element in smog, and few bad particles that polute the air. for instance b100 biodiesel, an all natural fuel produces 75% less CO2 than regular diesel–nation biodiesel board. wow, these numbers alone should make you consider an alternative fuel.

to be continued…

Fuel Alternatives

alternative fuels. my whole semester has delt with this. from biodiesel to hydrogen all these new and clean fuels have been on the rise. but is it really worth it to fill up with canola oil, or just still go to the same old gas stations. although the alternative fuel prices may be a little higher than the oil based, in the long run it could  prove benificial to make the switch. i can't tell you how many times i have gone to a gas station in the morning and then i'll drive past it at lunch and the price had gone up by 5 cents or so. alternative fuels as very availible, as oil is limited. so why should we even consider alternative fuels.

well they are:

1. cleaner than oil

2. profitable for the economy

3. make us less dependant

think about these. and i will continue this later