Carbons, fuels and humanity: Alternative fuels and reality
Just as every creature and organic life form on the face of the earth requires some source of energy, humanity itself and its creations require energy. The largest fuel source users and most consumption of energy resources are the fuels for humanity’s technological creations. Trains, planes, automobiles all require some type of fuel source. Even humanity’s homes are powered by limited fuel types in most societies. Humanity is primarily concerned with maintaining the lifestyle currently experienced, but prevention of dependency on un-renewable fuel sources and sources that, when used, cause harm and/or damage to the environment every organism in the ecological system of the planet have to share is secondary. The ninth Chapter of the Watersheds 4 investigates fuel systems, sources, effects of their uses, alternative fuels, and environmental concerns. Utilizing the documentation and resources related to the topic of fuel systems, we investigate the possibilities of the future.The Environment our primary stakeholder, shares with us the effects of our actions. Whether it is pollution due to waste, pollution by means of chlorofluorocarbons, or simply existing; humankind personifies another biological organism, a virus by definition. Most of the fuels currently in use are carbon based; these fuels often contain base elements which are building blocks for some corrosive and destructive compounds found in nature. These elements bond easily with naturally occurring compounds and degenerate the natural cycles in ecosystems; such as hydrogen or chlorine. Humankind’s primary effects felt by the environment are due to our consistent and constant use of fossil fuels. There are several byproducts of the use of fossil fuels which can have a devastating effect on the environment and adversely humankind itself.
Current fuel sources, which are composed of non-renewable hydrocarbons are proven to be unable to sustain humanity beyond a period between 2060 and 2080 A.D. according to Mike Sneed from Spacefaring (sic) America (2008). These statistics negate any figures of alternative fuel systems or types of non hydrocarbon fuels. However, humanity’s focus can not be just on combustion system fuels but fuels used in heating systems, electricity generation, and other human technological creations. Humankind is concerned as well with comparing biomass to production available through a source of fuel and the sources uses.
Many of the current fuel sources such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal have proven to have an adverse long-term affect on the environment and are costly in their production. Many of the costs involved using the current fuel sources are in the area of healthcare and environmental cleanup. Because the lifespan of living things are getting shorter and shorter, and those who control the world’s energy sources are getting fewer and fewer, political leaders and consumers alike embrace the idea of increased regulation and improved forms of energy.
Human populations are another stakeholder in the division of consumers of the fuels in the end of the system. The planet supplies the fuel, human products (i.e. cars, planes, homes, etc.) use these fuels and humans receive the benefit. These populations are the custodians of the ethical and beliefs to include cultural aspects, economical issues, and ethical items. Aside from focusing on different areas of the spectrum of ecological ethics such as deep ecology with its concern on nonanthropocentric aspects and biocentric ethics with life as the center, humankind concerns itself with capitalistic aspects; in other words, money.
Central to the debate of oil and fuel consumption and capital is OPEC. OPEC is an acronym for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The name alone exemplifies the fact that oil and petroleum consumption is not a single city, state, nation or country issue, but a global one. OPEC’s mission is to coordinate & unify the petroleum policies of Member Countries & ensure the stabilization of oil prices in order to secure an efficient, economic & regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers & a fair return on capital to those investing in the petroleum industry. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is not a homogenous group, but a collection of countries with divergent political and economic interests. As oil prices more than doubled over the last three years, OPEC members found it easy to agree on a common policy that brought them windfall revenue (McNamara, 2006). It is therefore, because so many nations relay on these countries output and/or consumption of these non-renewable sources of fuel, the need for alternative fuel systems are all the more necessary.
Future fuel sources are considered any processes or compounds currently in development or theories based in science that are probable but the technology does not currently exist. For these alternative fuel systems to utilize fuel, systems currently do not exist or are not cost effective in capitalistic terms. This can include fuel systems that are efficient but do not supply enough energy to be economically sound or do not produce in a timely – space conserving manner.
When considering the environment and the affects of human behavior in the plight for alternative forms of energy, a vast arrays of theories have been formulated which attempt to explain the various approaches taken to address the benefits and risks of alternative forms of energy. Meanwhile, continued production and use of materials which create convenience and pleasure for most are used. These are ultimately a form of destruction to the environment when used outside of their natural purposes. Continued scientific study produces improved methods of producing energy sources which are not as harmful to the ecosystem and are economically rational as well.
As the Human Population increases so does the dangers of poor health associated with harmful toxins in the environment. Because daily life is not as simple as it was when technology-driven entertainment and elaborate forms of transportation was not a concern, the human race is at greater risk of destroying the natural order of things. In recent years, leaders from around the world have begun collaborating in efforts to strengthen the health of the environment.
The Hummer H2 releases about 40 pounds of smog-causing pollutants for every 15,000 miles driven. Researchers believe the only way to reduce the amount of pollutants is to reduce fuel consumption use as little fuel per mile as possible. The Hummer H2s get 10 to 13 miles per gallon. Researchers believe the H2 helps the American economy, in Detroit the H2 is the hottest selling vehicle on the market. In the years to come the H2 will be a significant part of the market in China.
Engineers decided to make electric cars for some time now, so they decided to build cars with enormous batteries, however the battery has to be recharged, and they are very expensive and heavy. The maximum range for an electric car is about 200 miles. So many auto industries came up with the gas electric hybrid with its battery-powered electric motor; the 1.5 liter gas engine is used for acceleration, driving fast on the highway, or to recharge the battery.
The hybrids which include the Honda Insight, the Toyota Prius, and the Honda Civic like the H2 and the Ford Taurus can go 400 miles on a tank of gas, but the gas tank holds only 10 gallons. The Toyota Prius gets 48-50 miles per gallon with an average driver in the summer; in the winter, about 42-44 miles per gallon; which saves a lot of money, and the number of Hybrids on the road continues to increase (Blanco, 2008).
Detroit is coming out with some partial hybrids which include “Hybrid Sport Utility Vehicle” that get maybe 17 miles per gallon instead of 12, but these hybrids use the electric motor to run the accessories. The auto industries are asking “Where lies the future of the car?” 70 percent of our oil consumption is used for transportation, but auto industries haven’t discovered the political will to bring about the necessary reforms in incentives. The future of America depends upon energy brought from foreign shares to run falling factories. Oil consumption is one of the most serious problems facing the American people; the world consumes nearly 80 million barrels a day, and consumption is still going up. The United States alone consumed 7.191 billion barrels of oil in 2002, compared to 1.935 billion between China and Japan, 985 million for Russia, and949 million for Germany. The United States oil production is declining even as consumption advances; in 2002, the gap was about 5.2 billion barrels, and by 2025 it will be close to 8.4 billion carrels more than the total consumption we have in our present time (Newton, Dillingham, & Choly, 2006).
The ethics and responsibilities behind our energy crisis is a very old problem which seems easy to fix but is very complicated. We know to be responsibly ethical, but with all the parties that get involved, unfortunately ethics plays other rolls depending on the individuals. There are issues fought against it and for it by every group from tree huggers (Of which I am) to our government one gentlemen stated, “Maybe the supreme court can decide the crisis for us?” With all parties involved companies are positively solving the crisis while running into people that demonstrate against them. It’s as if we take steps forward having to climb over walls built by those against alternative energy methods.
The political red tape is wider than ever, stopping the progress that can determine what fuels we can use in place of gas and oil. Since 2001 the government has spent 10 billion dollars developing reliable energy sources very successfully. The administration has taken a number of steps to employ new technologies improving ways to displace our dependence of oil. Our administration continuously resolves ways to help our country with this crisis, like raising the gas mileage requirements in sport utility vehicles and light trucks. The savings alone will be as high as 11 billion gallons of gas over the lifetime of these vehicles and there are tax incentives that have been implemented, also.
The government also passed a bill to create additional tax cuts for alternative fueling stations constructed up to $30,000 per year. In 2007, it was announced that 1.2 billion dollars toward hydrogen fuel initiatives for fuel cells, cars, trucks, homes and businesses that have no pollution emitted or greenhouse gases. The affects of these actions have already been seen to have a positive action in today’s marketplace. For example, hybrid vehicles have exceeded sales of $200,000 for the first time in our history and in part to the tax incentives (Newton, Dillingham, & Choly, 2006).
Ethanol production has increased by 30% with 2 billion gallons currently being developed. Cellulosic Ethanol is another way we are resolving the fuel and petroleum demands. A recent department of energy study suggests that the continuing developments of biofuel could supply 60 million gallons per year without interrupting our food production. Through the private sector, partnerships are being developed to greatly help our energy crisis. For example, using fuel cells in cars by the year 2020 will reduce our greenhouse gas emission issues according to the Consumer Reports organization (2007). We know the problems we face if we don’t continue to work hard, but politically too often our responsibilities fall on deaf ears. What seems to be so simple at times proves to be so hard. There is hope in knowing that justice will prevail and it starts with us.
Alternative fuel system seem to be the only answer to the nagging question of what humanity can do to address the cataclysm humankind has created and stands upon.
This precipice on which humanity stands was created from predatory actions of taking from our environment more than needed and replacing the vacuum with destructive exhaust. As discussed, humanity’s reliance on detrimental fuel systems and OPEC will not prove beneficial in the long run of combustible engines. The utilizing of carbon based fuels has only existed for a blink of the pre-verbal eye, but the effects of this choice are felt currently and will last for the foreseeable future. Discussing the current fuel sources in comparison to likely future sources, understanding of efficiency has a place in our progress in the evolution of technology and the fuels of functioning.
References
Blanco, Sebastian. (2008, February 29). The prius as best green vehicle for 5th straight year. Autobloggreen website. Internet resource. Retrieved January 12, 2009 from,
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/02/29/shocker-consumer-reports-picks-the-prius-as-best-green-vehicle/
Consumer Reports. (2007, March). Fuel-cell cars race to reality: But challenges still obstruct the road to mass production. Consumer reports online article. Internet resource. Retrieve January 9, 2009 from,
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2007/03/fuel-cell-cars-race-to-reality-3-07/overview/0703_honda-fcx.htm
McNamara, Melissa. (2006, October 11). Background on OPEC. CBS news resource. Internet resource. Retrieved January 8, 2009 from,
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/11/fyi/main2082660.shtml
Newton, Lisa H., Dillingham, Catherine K., & Choly, Joanne. (2006). Watersheds 4: Genetically modified organisms. Retrieved December 30, 2008 from,
https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary/content/eReader.h.
Sneed, Mike. (2008, May 20). Space solar power and America’s energy future. Part (5) in a series. Internet resource. Retrieved December 30, 2008 from,
http://spacefaringamerica.net/2008/05/20/24--space-solar-power-and-americas-energy-future-part-5.aspx
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