The recent outcry of scientists regarding the sudden increase of pollutants due to ‘green’ fuel production due to the effects of high oil prices which translates into high gasoline costs. The effect of the oil’s sudden increased price has gasoline going up from less than two dollars to almost four at the pumps. The shift to more environmentally friendly options such as ethanol and Nuclear power has many worried about their environmental impacts which are almost comparable if not more than oil-based fuels.
Ethanol plants eat up a lot of energy which they take of the grid before they can invest in enough equipment to become self-contained and make their own power. The EPA has singled out ethanol plants as one of the highest polluters around for they produce pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (which is responsible for acid rain, respiratory and heart problems), nitrogen dioxide (which contributes more to global warming) and volatile organic compounds which have the ability to cause cancer. All these pollutants would increase if there was a sudden shift into widespread production without necessary pollution control methods. Such is the impact of grain production on the environment such as the sudden increase of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico which is attributed to increased nitrogen in the water from corn plantations.
More study needs to be done to allow the reality of a clean and green fuel source that would alleviate our dependency on oil and it’s by-products for as the supply dwindles prices will continue to go up. Responsible business is the key and they should on themselves, place the environment before their profits with enough drive and pressure from the public regarding their activities which will hopefully allow this earth to recover from damage already done in the short time we have been here. Nature has created a wonderful and naturally sustainable environment which man has managed to sometimes irreversibly destroy in a couple of decades.
The slowing economy, the increase in jobless people is prompting a re-think of the choices they make when it comes to choosing their next cars according. The ever increasing prices of oil and Gasoline which has hit a high $3.00 per gallon, is getting more and more people to consider getting either flex-fuel capable vehicles or other alternative fueled cars. These hybrids, which are now more common than you think thanks due to mass manufacturing of already, tested brands like the Toyota Prius and many others are gaining ground for they offer better fuel economy and have less impact on the environment. The other alternative fuels in current study and development are Methanol, Ethanol, Hydrogen and even the dirty old diesel engine is getting a second lease at life with people opting to go for them and alternative fueled cars rather than the gas guzzling cars of yesteryears. Diesel engines have been in use for quite some time but mainly in the mass transport industry such as trucking and hauling of freight to and from ports. They have their share of SUV’s and cars but if the current trend in gas prices shows no slowing down, there might be no other choice but to trade in that gas guzzler for a new diesel or alternative powered car.
Diesel is known to be a not so good performer in the environmental side of things but better and improved engine technology which has come out with cleaner, better and more fuel efficient diesel engines but it still has many issues that can be addressed by alternative fuelled cars. These hybrids on the other hand do have downsides such as battery lifecycle and emissions which can be comparable to current gas powered vehicles. They are slowly but surely getting better and they are sure to be seen more and more everyday, as people shift to better, more fuel efficient vehicles. The choice between gas, diesel and alternative fuelled vehicles has always been a choice of trade off’s between economy, environmental impact and other contributory factors. With the price of gas almost tripling in the last 5 years, the shift to cheaper alternatives (or the not so cheaper ones as with alternative fueled cars) in hopes of keeping the regular Joe on the road while maintaining an environmentally acceptable stance all of us should partake in. So it would only be time before we see more electrical charge stations, methanol and other alternative fuels being offered at the nearest gas station you stop at to fuel up.
This has become the case with many cars whether they be green (alternative fueled) or newer generations of classics that still use petroleum-based products but are so efficient with respect to their emission controls that they have little or no emissions at all. Catalytic converters have long been a mainstay of the auto industry since they became mandatory by law way back in the late 70’s and early 80’s but unbeknownst to all, these devices though considered to be quite rugged can and do get their fair share of problems. Leaks, cracked pipes and elements are just some of them. They are also quite expensive for the reactive compounds use exotic metals such as platinum and silver.
Catalytic converters refine the exhaust of your vehicle via chemical reaction converting harmful/highly toxic gasses to less toxic ones. The trend nowadays is to produce a more efficient emission control device that would strip most if not totally eliminate the waste products of internal combustion engines. There are currently vehicles that are powered both by alternative fuel and gas that have the best emission control systems on earth but as the blog states, not all American states have them as part of their inventory. As it turns out, green cars are only available in those states that have the highest pollution control penalties.
So even if you do want to go green and got the cash to shell out for the extra they charge for these green machines, they might just not be available in your state, yet. Till all the states and eventually the world places enough laws to allow them or make them mandatory, you might have to wait a few more years for you to get one parked into your car as we all try to lower our carbon footprints in the future.
