With the expense of gas nowadays as well as the emphasis put on ensuring the future of the planet by keeping the air clean, there is a surge in research for alternative fuel sources. The vehicle manufacturers are developing products to meet this demand and have invested a lot of time and money to come up with the various alternates.

Ethanol, made from corn or soybeans, is one of the more recognizable forms of alternative fuel. It has gained a lot of media exposure over the years and is beneficial in many ways. It can be made inexpensively from organic materials and trash. While it still demands gasoline for its use, the ethanol is cleaner, less expensive and allows better gas mileage than that of traditional gasoline products. Ethanol is available now and uses only fifteen percent gasoline. This is a much more economical solution.

Methanol is similar to ethanol but has a few slight differences. It can be made of wood or coal but today it is primarily made from methane. Natural gas is a much less expensive alternative and burns cleaner than gasoline also. Like ethanol, methanol is an alcohol based alternative fuel.

Propane will likely be familiar to most people. In fact, many people regularly use it for other types of ebergy. It is, however, gaining momentum as a possible alternative to gas in vehicles. Propane is much easier on the environment which is one of the reasons it is being looked at so closely. It originates in the ground but is more similar to air than petroleum and much more abundant a resource.

Electric cars were developed many years ago but never took off in popularity. However, there is a resurgence in this type of vehicle now because of the rising gas prices as well as the concern for the environment. The rechargeable car batteries allow the car to run while avoiding the use of harmful gas emissions. This classic alternative has become more readily available in recent years.

The alternative fuel that is getting the most attention, though, is hydrogen. Because it is so easy to produce and so inexpensive, this looks to be one of the most promising alternatives to gasoline available. Car manufacturers have developed the means to create these cars and the technology is continually advancing. Not only will this be an extremely efficient and inexpensive solution but it will also be a very clean product.

The greenhouse effect is in the news a lot lately. That coupled with the rising gas prices has spurred scientists from around the world to put forth a lot more effort into developing alternative fuel sources. While there are many available now, advances in the industry promise even more to come.

If you want to know more about how you can use alternative fuel in your existing car at home come to http://www.convertyourcar.org/Alternative-Fuel-Cars.html

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The oil crisis and world overdependence on fossil fuels have paved the way for new developments in alternative energy sources. One of these alternative sources is biomass, which certainly has the potential of being considered a good substitute for fossil fuel. Seeds of fortune are often planted in the throes of a crisis. Biomass may just be that seed of fortune you are looking for.

Biomass is a natural and renewable energy source that is derived from recently dead biological matter and is used as a biofuel. It usually comes from plants, but it also comes from animal matter and other agricultural biodegradable waste. Examples of plants that can be used as biomass are corn, sugar cane, wheat, and switchgrass. Waste matter from plants like coconut husks, rice hulls, and bagasse (waste from sugar cane) are also examples of biomass. However, biomass excludes organic material which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum. In general, biomass can be used in either raw form or some sort of modified, blended form.

Biomass works like this. It is burned to produce heat that makes hot water, which then produces steam that can power turbines. Since biomass is also carbon-based like traditional fossil fuel, it has a comparable burning rate that makes it suitable as an energy source for small-scale power generation. But unlike fossil fuels, biomass absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its growing lifetime. After its life, the carbon in biomass recycles to the atmosphere as a mixture of CO2 and methane (CH4), depending on the ultimate fate of the biomass material. CH4 converts to CO2 in the atmosphere, completing the cycle. In contrast to biomass carbon, the carbon in fossil fuels is locked away in geological storage forever, unless extracted.

Biomass has become a popular alternative source of energy in farming areas and other areas where there is a huge amount of agricultural waste. Farmers have used biomass to power their equipment and for post-harvest processing of agricultural crops.

As an energy source, biomass has many applications depending on the type of material used, the location, and the processing that it has to undergo to make it usable. The simplest biomass application is agricultural fertilizers. Biomass materials can also be used for fiber or building material. Further chemical processing, such as hydrogenation, can produce a biomass that makes it a suitable fuel source. Biomass is also sometimes used for space heating applications.

Biomass is also scalable. Already there are biomass power plants operating with 11,000 megawatts (MW) installed capacity, representing the second largest amount of renewable energy in the United States, next to geothermal energy. These power plants burn wood and agricultural wood wastes. Aside from burning the biomass to produce heat, gases like methane can also be extracted, which can then be used as fuel for generators, turbines, and fuel cells.

Some environmentalists argue that biomass is part of the carbon cycle and as such emits greenhouse gases that contribute to global warning. That said, biomass emits 50% less than emissions from burning fossil fuel. Furthermore, the disadvantage of having carbon dioxide emission can be offset by the fact that biomass is often sourced from recycled waste materials, therefore significantly reducing solid waste. This helps to classify it as an efficient and cost-effective energy source.

In addition to this environmental concern, biomass raises another critical issue in the food vs. fuel debate. Some argue that using biomass for energy instead of using it as an edible food is unconscionable. This argument has been magnified by the more recent oil and food price crises, where critics point out that biomass could have helped create or at least magnify the rising cost of food staples. However, some studies suggest the amount of crops that go to biofuel production may not be significant enough to tip the food demand.

While the conversion to biomass fuels is probably inevitable, some are concerned about how the conversion will take place: The timing and cost of the conversion is still not clear. Also total direct and indirect costs and what groups benefit and which groups suffer are major concerns. With congressional leadership favoring an acceleration of greener energy in a way that benefits their constituents and lobbyists, the conversion to biomass will create winners and losers.

What the biomass discussion is pointing to is the urgency for industries to begin planning NOW for the inevitability of a greener world. Will you be prepared?

Bottom line? Apply this information to improve your profitability, reengineer business models, and strengthen or gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. And apply the free Fiscal Test at http://fiscaldoctor.com/fiscaltest.html. From Gary W Patterson, www.FiscalDoctor.com Copyright 2008

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Just like with any new, slightly controversial subject, there will always be pros and cons to talk about and that is no different with the new drive toward the use of alternative fuels to power our vehicles. People who support alternative fuels the pros could list a hundred ways that alternative fuel helps. On the other hands those who oppose it the cons could also list a hundred ways we should use alternative fuels.

To begin with, alternative fuel is cleaner burning than gasoline which is good for the environment definitely a pro rather than a con. As we are confronted with many environmental problems these days such as global warming, many people feel we really need to take a moment and realize that it is up to us to help stop these problems. When you use an alternative fuel in your car instead of gasoline, you are helping to stop the release of counter-productive elements into the air.

Many alternative fuel vehicles also get better fuel mileage which is another pro over con in the use of alternative fuels. Especially in hybrid vehicles, miles per gallon can be increased by more than 20 percent over a period of time! That can make a world of difference to many drivers.

There are many tax incentives that can be found when you buy and use an alternative fuel vehicle. The government knows that there are pros and cons to the use of alternative fuel, so they want to make it as attractive as possible to the consumer to make the switch. Who does not want to save money on their taxes? If you can get a tax break, it can greatly benefit you and you will be helping the Earth as well.

As for the cons of alternative fuels, while not as numerous as the pros, the problems can be a bit bigger in the general mind of the consumer. Alternative fuel vehicles are often more expensive than regular gasoline vehicles. Even though you can get a tax break for buying one of these vehicles, you can still expect to pay anywhere from 10 to 40 percent more retail price for an alternative fuel vehicle.

The availability of alternative fuels is another huge con to offset the pros. While many places now carry E85 fuel (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline), it may be difficult to find other alternative fuel types. Even the stations that do carry E85 are not as plentiful as many people would hope and they often find themselves driving out of their way just to gas up their cars.

The pros and cons of using alternative fuels can forever be debated. What side you are on depends on your commitment to our environment and what you can do to stop some of the deadly effects of the gases we release from our vehicles.

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There is a growing trend toward pushing people to use new alternative fuels to power their vehicles. Alternative fuel burns cleaner, is better for the environment, and, in many cases, can be cheaper than gasoline. But not just any car will run on alternative fuels. The engine must be constructed in a different way to adapt to the new substance that it will be running on.

Almost all major car companies have jumped right on to the alternative fuel bandwagon by manufacturing a variety of vehicles designed especially to run on alternative fuel. They are called, of course, alternative fuel vehicles or AFVs for short. Some vehicles are strictly designed and built to run on nothing but alternative fuel while others can run on either gasoline or alternative fuel making them a hybrid car.
As of 2006, here is a list of some of the alternative fuel or GREEN vehicles manufactured by some of the major car companies:
Honda Insight
Honda Accord Hybrid
Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Series
Dodge Stratus Sedan
Dodge Durango SUV
Dodge Caravan Minivan
Ford Taurus
Ford F-150 Pickup
Ford Escape SUV
GM Impala
Chevrolet Silverado 4 x 2
Chevrolet Tahoe SUV
Chevy Yukon SUV
Nissan Titan Pickup
Toyota Highlander SUV
Toyota Prius

And these are truly just a few of the alternative fuel vehicles that are on the market. There are more and more being designed and manufactured every day. Big car companies know that the wave of the future is going to be towards environmental friendliness when it comes to a personals vehicle. That is why their manufacturing of so many alternative fuel or hybrid vehicles is a huge part of their business plans these days.

Now, you should know that even though it is a good idea to buy an alternative fuel vehicle these days, you will have to pay more money to do so. Alternative fuel vehicles run anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 USD more than a regular gasoline car. That is why many states offer great incentives for those people who own alternative fuel vehicles.

For example, California, Florida, and Texas have allowed alternative fuel vehicles exemptions when it comes to commuting. These places have commuting or high occupancy lanes that allow cars with a certain number of people in them to use them. If you have an AFV, you can be in this lane even if you are by yourself.

The Federal Government also offers a tax break to those people who have purchased an alternative fuel vehicle in the year 2006. For some, that is an amazing tax advantage and well worth the investment in buying an alternative fuel vehicle.

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With gas prices continuing to stay high, many people are looking at other fuel options, such as, for example, diesel fuel. Ethanol is another alternative fuel option that can also save you some money at the pump.

Ethanol, grain alcohol made mostly from corn in the U.S., has seen a resurgence in interest lately, including new federal mandates to produce at least 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2020. Most ethanol today is blended into gasoline in a mixture called E10, 10 percent ethanol to 90 percent gasoline. All new cars can use E10.

More controversial is a small amount that is blended into a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline called E85, which only a small percentage of cars can use without damage to their fuel systems.

Engineers are developing ways to make ethanol out of material other than food stocks, such as wood chips and old tires. This cellulosic ethanol will be needed to meet upcoming mandates for ethanol production, and will work in cars the same way corn ethanol does.

More than 7 million vehicles today can run on E85, and new biorefineries are increasing capacity. This has the added benefits of reducing dependence on foreign oil.

However, using ethanol as an alternative fuel source has a number of disavantages: firstly, cars running on E85 get 27 percent worse fuel economy than they do on gasoline, and less than 1 percent of U.S. gas stations currently sell E85. Secondly, federal fuel economy credits for ethanol may actually be reducing fuel economy in cars overall. And thirdly, increasing demand for ethanol has been blamed for driving up food prices.

The main problem, however, with ethanol is that the majority of engines on the road today are not designed for it. One exception is the Saab 9-5 Biopower engine, which IS optimized for ethanol. It outperforms gasoline, getting 20% more power, 16% greater torque, and 10% better mileage. The Lotus Exige 265E gets 45 more horse power on E85 than it gets on gasoline. Within the next two years, Suzuki, Ford, GM and numerous other car makers will introduce engines which exploit the advantages of ethanol for (a) its higher octane, (b) faster flame speed, (c) lower burn temperature (d) less heat loss, and most importantly (e) for its compatibility with water.

Our system of blending 15% gasoline into ethanol is not necessary. Ethanol can be denatured without using gasoline. That was how politicians created an incentive for oil companies to distribute ethanol, by giving them a 51 cent per gallon tax credit to blend it with gasoline. The problem is, ethanol performs better when it’s mixed with water rather than gasoline. This is called hydrous ethanol.

This is nothing new. In the 1920’s, the model A Ford cars and trucks ran on 165 proof ethanol, 17.5% water and 82.5% ethanol. Recently, a Hyatt Community College engine testing team lead by instructor Frank Petri, mixed 20% water with pure ethanol, and efficiency in the combustion chamber doubled. When the ethanol explodes, the water instantly turns into additional power in the form of steam and also provides hydrogen and oxygen inside the cylinder. Next year, Ford is introducing the EcoBoost engine, which may also have advanced ethanol technology that improves efficiency even more. Brazil has been using 4% hydrous ethanol for years.

John Roseby, Mechanical Engineer, University of Missouri said: From 1981 to 1989, I worked with Sean Hanley, who had been an engineer on a WW II submarine, and a former captain of a nuclear submarine. We developed two prototype cars, a Ford Pinto Station Wagon and a Mitsubishi Sedan, that ran as well on 65 proof ethanol (2/3 water and 1/3 ethanol) as they did on unleaded regular gas.

So if we can dilute pure ethanol with 2/3 water and run our vehicles on it, why aren’t we doing that? Its coming. The State of Louisiana is now planning an experimental hydrous ethanol program that may also be replicated in other states. Dongfeng, a major Chinese auto maker is introducing a car this year, with a slightly modified fuel system, that runs on 65% ethanol and 35% water. They claim hydrogen is formed. Toyota also has a similar hydrous ethanol prototype that produces on board hydrogen.

The argument that ethanol is inferior to diesel and gasoline is not valid. Pure ethanol has higher octane, faster flame speed, lower burn temperature which translates into less heat loss, and most importantly, it mixes with water. With advanced engine technology, it can outperform gasoline 2 to 1 or better. Major automakers are scheduled to produce smaller, lighter, high compression, turbocharged ethanol optimized engines that are a lot more efficient than current gasoline and diesel engines. The fuel will be cheaper, cleaner and made in the USA.

If you prefer an ethanol powered fuel cell, the Tacton Direct Proton Fuel Cell developed by Pinto University’s Research Park in Savannah, Georgia is about $2,000, only 1/10 the price of a hydrogen fuel cell. No need to compress hydrogen into ultra high pressure hydrogen tanks, which increases the cost of the fuel and the vehicle. Put safe and friendly ethanol in your conventional liquid fuel tank. Maybe that’s why Toyota is building ethanol plants in Brazil, and GM is investing in ethanol development in the U.S. They must know something we don’t know about ethanol.

James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments. James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.

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