The one thing that is indispensable and used all around the world is fuel. People from all walks of life use a different form of fossil fuels to fulfill their energy requirements. Nearly all the types of commonly used fuels such as gasoline, coal, diesel, and natural gas are non-renewable which means that it will only be used once and cannot be replenished. If we look around there are dozens of activities where fuel is needed such as driving a car and doing other household chores such as laundry, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Fossil fuels are economical to process but non-renewable resources and cause different types of environmental problems.
Gasoline also called petrol is the most used of the fuel, and every day millions of different types of the vehicle require petrol to move from one place to another. Gasoline is required in cars, sports utility vehicles, trucks, and school buses. Gasoline is also used to power big generators in commercial buildings and construction sites. The thousands of planes that travel all across the world are driven by a certain type of fuel called jet fuel which is similar to diesel fuel.
In every house, all the cooking and heating is made possible by natural gas. The stoves, heaters, and heating systems all run on natural gas which burns cleanly and gives abundant energy. Natural gas is usually found near oil deposits and contains methane and other gases also.
Coal is another popular form of fuel which is used to operate the electric plants. According to a study, nearly half of the homes in the United States are coal-powered. The coal is burned to heat the water, and the resulting steam fuels the big turbines that make mechanical energy which is converted to electric energy by a generator and transmits electricity in the homes.
It is a fact that fossil fuels are nonrenewable and the reserves are decreasing at a rapid pace to a significant increase in demand. There is a need for discovering and exploring new sites that have huge volumes of fuel reserves. Apart from the decreasing fossil fuel, the main concern is the harmful fumes which are causing pollution. Today, all over the world there is major discussion on climate change and the role of combustible types of fuel that major threat to the environment. Many countries have banned diesel-run vehicles and urging people to use alternative solutions such as hybrid and electric cars.
The one solution that can help not only conserve the fossil fuel reserves but reduce the environmental hazards is ‘alternative fuel’ which are an advanced and non-conventional form of fuels. The alternative fuels are made from sources that do not belong to petroleum. Many of the alternative fuels are domestically produced which reduces the need and dependency on renewable resources. Some of the popular and effective alternative fuel solutions consist of biofuels that have subcategories such as bio-alcohol (methanol, butane, and ethanol), bio-diesel: compressed natural gas (CNG), propane, electricity, and hydrogen.
- Bio-diesel is a special type of diesel that is derived from vegetable oils and animal fats. The best thing about bio-diesel is that it produces fewer air pollutants as compared to diesel derived from petrol.
- Bio-alcohols are biologically produced alcohols made from sugars and starch collected from sugarcane, wheat, and can. Bio-alcohols are not entirely called a separate fuel and usually act as an additive to preserve the commonly used fossil fuel.
- Ethanol is made from corn and other naturally occurring crops. It is known to emit fewer greenhouse gases as compared to petrol or diesel.
- Electricity is another alternative fuel which, although is domestically produced by using different renewable resources such as water, coal, and natural gas. But electricity can itself power cars which do not emit any gas. Today electric cars talk of the town and many popular car companies are making electric and fuel cell-based
- Propane is famously called liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and can quite abundantly be produced. Propane is known to emit fewer pollutants in the air as compared to gasoline
- Hydrogen is another alternative fuel that can be produced from certain fossil fuels such as coal. Hydrogen is an essential component in the fuel cell-based cars which do not emit harmful pollutants.
A clean and green environment is necessary not only for us but for our future generations. The climate change is showing us it impacts with sudden and widespread tropical storms, smog, unhealthy air quality, and pollution causing respiratory problems. The reasons why people should not be aware but follow using alternative fuels are
- The main purpose of alternative fuel is to ensure a clean and green environment that reduces the harmful effects of pollutants that consist of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxides, sulfur, and other gases.
- Every person has his own choice, and we should appreciate a person who puts bio-diesel in his truck or a person who uses an electric scooter to go to the grocery stores.
- Saying thank you to the farmers who are not only harvesting food and crops for us but also giving us byproducts that are treated to give alternative fuel such as ethanol and bio-diesel
- The modern hybrid and electric vehicles are more fun to drive. They have zero harmful emissions and have no noise when moving on the roads.
- Every day not only is renewable used but also wasted. There are also other types of waste and garbage which are either dumped at sea or in a landfill which also causes harmful effects on the environment. Alternative fuel is the solution and ensures less stress on the planet
- The alternative fuels are less expensive and can ensure longer functionality and lifespan of the car’s engine.
- A gallon of gasoline burned releases nearly 20 pounds of heat that contain harmful carbon monoxide which is dangerous not only for the environment but for people who are inhaling the air. Alternative fuel has zero or low unhealthy emissions and quite sustainable as compared to conventional fuels