I have to do a survey of at least 25 people for a research paper. I was hoping you could help me by telling me how you feel about alternative fuel solutions such as bio-diesel and hybrid cars? Do you think that conventional fuels such as fossil fuels and nuclear material make a significant impact on the environment? Do you think that alternative fuels help? Why? Why not? Thank you. Today I found out that… Think that petroleum is bad for the environment, but the bigger problem is how we use land. Compare new york city where nobody owns a car because there's a subway on every street and nowhere to park. Compare that to suburban wal-mart anywhere, where you absolutely need a car just to get around decently. See the problem, when your build your towns all spread out, walking doesn't work, transit doesn't work, etc. So you are stuck driving ..

The environmental concerns and the fear of energy shortage through out the world have raised questions on the blind use of conventional fuels. So scientists world over have concentrated their efforts to find out ways and means to produce alternative fuel also known as non conventional fuel.

All the materials other than conventional sources of energy that can be used as energy sources are called alternative energy sources. They are environment friendly and produce less pollution in comparison to convention energy sources. Some of the most desirable non conventional fuels are bioalcohol, biodiesel, fuel cells and batteries, vegetable oil, non fossil natural gas, non fossil methane gas and electricity generated through chemicals an biomas energy.

The fuel is basically a form of energy. Nowadays the demand for the sustainable fuel is increasing day by day. This is due to the fact that the sources of conventional fuel are limited and so depending solely on these sources would create an energy crisis in the future. Besides, conventional energy sources are detrhymental to the environment and produce greater amount of pollution. On the other hand alternative energy sources producing fuel are called green sources as they are less hazardous to the environment and therefore safe for the future of human civilization.

In addition to it non convention sources of fuel are renewable and there is fear of their shortage. Thus they provide some kind of energy security to the mankind.

But producing fuels through biomass, stored electricity, hydrogen energy, wind and geothermal energy is not very easy. This is an era of huge amount of energy consumption and the demand for it growing day by day. But meeting this growing demand through these fuels is not possible as cost of production is very high. Moreover, such fuel needs some specific geophysical features that are not available in every country. Although production of fuel through biomass, biogas is easy and less costly. But its amount is almost negligible. On the other hand energy produced through tidal wave, wind power, solar power, hydro power and geothermal is very costly and troublesome also.

In spite of this fact there is a world wide consensus the usability of the alternative fuel because it will solve two burning questions at a time. First, it would help minimize the severity of the effects of global warming and green house effect. Second, the process of depletion of the gas and petroleum would be slower if the production of the green fuel increases. The number of green fuel run automobiles is increasing day by day and dependency on the conventional fuel sources is going down. It will be a boon for the human beings if the future production of this fuel goes up to the expected level.

What exactly does the phrase “alternative fuel” mean? In simple words, the term refers to substances (excluding conventional fuels like gasoline or diesel) which can be used as fuels. This article takes a look at what fuels are, why we need a fuel alternative to conventional substances, as well as future prospects and scope for their development.

Background:

A fuel is any substance which yields energy to heat or move objects. The two main forms are: chemical fuel and nuclear fuel. The former provides energy through chemical reactions such as combustion, while the latter releases energy through nuclear fission or fusion.

Ever since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the world’s energy needs have been growing. This has led to a point where the demand for energy has outpaced the supply leading to an energy crisis.

Energy is required for every facet of human life today: cooling, lighting and warming homes and offices, conducting agriculture, running industries, cooking food, transportation of people and materials. . . the list is endless.

Fossil fuels are the main energy source around the world. These originate from carboniferous substances, and take millions of years to form. Examples include coal and crude oil, from which gasoline (petrol), diesel, kerosene and jet fuel are made.

Need for Alternatives:

In addition to the energy crisis, the following factors have led to the increasing need for finding a feasible fuel alternative to conventional sources:

* Fossil sources are limited, and will eventually get used up. * Only few countries have usable fossil reserves. This forces other nations to depend on them for energy. * Countries want energy security and independence. * Combustion of carbon-rich fuels leads to emissions like CO and CO2, which are harmful to the environment. * More and more people are becoming environmentally-conscious and want a fossil fuel alternative.

Alternatives – Present And Future Prospects:

The pressing need for a solution to the world’s environmental and energy problems has led to a lot research to find a fossil fuel alternative. Alcohol-fuels like ethanol and methanol based substances are easy to produce. They are made from crops like corn, which is fermented to produce alcohol. But alcohols are highly corrosive, and require expensive metal, plastic and rubber replacements for existing parts to be used in cars.

“Biodiesels” refer to non-petroleum based substances which powers a diesel engine. Vegetable oils and used-fry-oil have been used as biodiesels, after being subject to some processing. They are effective alternatives to petro diesel, producing similar amounts of energy with lesser emissions. However, biodiesels are significantly more expensive than petro diesel, freeze solid in cold weather, and cannot be produced in sufficient quantities to meet global demand.

Hydrogen is the most promising fossil fuel alternative for the future. It’s the most common element in the universe, and yields the highest amounts of energy on combustion. Also, hydrogen combustion produces only energy and water, so it’s completely eco-friendly. Experts predict that by 2020, problems in production, storage and distribution of hydrogen would been solved, making it the best solution to the current energy crisis.

This video describes various alternative fuel sources necessary for survival operations.