ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Alternative Fuels

With the unstable prices of gasoline , oil , and diesel in the world market today , there is a growing need for cheaper and alternative fuels Moreover , it is also perceived by various studies there are also a lot of geopolitical and environmental concerns on the sustainability of standard fuels which has prompted several countries , particularly the United States , to utilize other fuel sources . In general , alternative fuels , which are also called non-conventional fuels , are substances and materials that are obtained from sources other than petroleum (FuelEconomy .gov , 2008

Today , there

are a lot of alternative fuels that are being used in the manufacturing of cars by several brands such as Chrysler , Honda , Toyota Ford Motor Co , Nissan , and Mazda , among others (United States Department of Energy , 2008 . Certain types of alternative fuels that are widely used today are Ethanol , Biodiesel , and Natural Gas (FuelEconomy .gov , 2008 , among many others . Some of these fuels obtained from renewable sources while some are produced domestically , which in effect reduce a certain country 's dependence on oil imports (FuelEconomy .gov , 2008

One of the most commonly used non-conventional fuels nowadays is ethanol . Ethanol is fuel that is mainly based on alcohol and is created through the fermentation and distillation of the sugar or starch crops like corn . In addition , it can also be sourced from materials that are termed biomass ' which generally refers to either living or dead biological sources such as grasses and trees , among others (FuelEconomy .gov , 2008 . In related news , a group of researchers from Dartmouth College recently discovered a microorganism that can help boost ethanol production . According to the researchers , they have genetically engineered a thermophilic bacterium , which means it can survive in high temperatures , that can facilitate the conversion of cellulosic biomass such as grass , wood and several waster materials into ethanol (Darthmouth College , 2008

Another type of alternative fuel is Biodiesel . This fuel type is mainly a variety of diesel fuel that is made from recycled restaurant greases vegetable oils , and animal fat (FuelEconomy .gov , 2008 . The main advantages of Biodiesel are that it is biodegradable , gives off fewer air pollutants than petroleum-based products , and is relatively harmless (FuelEconomy .gov , 2008 . Lastly , Natural gas is a type of fossil fuel which is mostly composed of methane . Its main advantage is that it is one of the burns relatively cleanly in car engines as compared to other non-conventional fuels (FuelEconomy .gov , 2008

One car model in the market that uses alternative fuel is the Honda Civic GX (United States Department of Energy , 2008 . The Honda Civic GX is a 5-speed automatic sedan that runs on natural gas . It has a dedicated fuel configuration which means that it runs on natural gas only (United States Department of Energy , 2008 . Its main advantage is that is produces 60-90 less smog and 30-40 less greenhouse gas emissions than other vehicles and its fuel is cheaper than gasoline (FuelEconomy .gov , 2008

Personally , I would seriously consider buying car models that run on...