Alternative Fuel

How to do you solve a problem like climate change? Nobody knows for sure and the consensus is that there is no silver bullet solution to tackle such a complex challenge. Redesigning our economies, changing consumer habits and giving rights to the environment are some of the paths that we can explore to mitigate the effects of climate change. From a consumer point of view, one of the most practical answers is switching from fossil fuel to alternative fuel.

Alternative fuel is any non-conventional fuel made of materials and substances that pollute less than conventional fossil fuel (oil, coal, propane and natural gas). Some of the best known examples of alternative fuel are biodiesel, bioalcohol (such as ethanol), fuel cells, hydrogen, non-fossil natural gas, and biomass sources.

Ethanol is probably the best known alternative fuel. Ethanol is pure alcohol fermented and distilled from sugarcane and starch crops such as corn, barley and wheat. In 2005 President Bush passed a bill requiring 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol to be introduced into the economy. The most widely used blend of ethanol is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, also known as E85 blend. Many vehicles that are not officially flexible fuel vehicles can run with no problems on a lower blend of ethanol E10 that is, 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. In some parts of the country commercial vehicles are required to run E10 fuel.

Biodiesel is another well-known type of alternative fuel. It is produced from vegetable oil and animal fats, soybean oil and restaurant grease being the most popular sources of biodiesel. 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum (B20) diesel is the most popular use of biodiesel, which requires no engine modification, unlike B100, which would require a few engine modifications to prevent performance problems caused by gelling.

There is a lot of hope for hydrogen as an alternative fuel source but the technology is not yet ready for mass adoption. Fuel cell vehicles powered by pure hydrogen are extremely clean but they are not available to the general public and we may have to wait until the 2020�s to see them on the streets.

Biomass alternative fuel is extracted from wood, crops, manure and garbage. Biomass is burned in order to release the heat it contains. It is considered an alternative fuel because crops and trees are replaceable and also because it can give waste a useful destination.

Non-fossil natural gas is a type of alternative fuel that extracts gas from swamps, marshes and landfills, to name but a few. The primary component of natural gas is methane, which is is used for cooking, heating and as a vehicle fuel.