Carlo Hernandez asked:


If you are concerned about your carbon footprint and are looking for a way to go eco friendly, one of the things that you may want to consider is an alternative fuel car.  Whether you are planning on buying a hybrid car or convert your old one, alternative energy can help you to be more eco friendly and cut down on the cost of fuel.  Here is a look at just five of the benefits that going green can provide you.

Cost

Buying a car is a huge investment, but switching to clean fuel doesn’t have to be.  When speaking long term, choosing a hybrid that uses clean fuel can cut your fuel prices in half, saving you plenty of money each year.  And while a car is a major purchase, many hybrids are available for a similar price or even less than their gasoline or diesel powered counterparts.

Another aspect to consider, is buying a converter kit for you current car.  These kits are much less expensive than investing in a new car yet will still help you to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on fuel.

As with any purchase, the amount you save going eco friendly will be determined by how much you drive, how much the car costs over the time used, type of car (hybrid or not), as well as other factors.

Tax break

While a tax break alone may not be enough to switch to an eco friendly vehicle, it can be an added bonus.  When you buy a new, qualifying hybrid you will get a federal tax break that can make the vehicle even more affordable.  However, this benefit is limited to the first 60,000 hybrids of each model, so you will need to buy one soon.  You may find that you will qualify for other tax benefits on a state level.  Your tax professional will be able to tell you what benefits you would qualify for.

Insurance breaks

Another reason to switch to a clean fuel car is that you may get a break on your insurance.  Some insurance companies feel that the owners of green cars are overall more responsible drivers and provide green discounts, so therefore you may be able to qualify for some insurance discounts.

Carpool lane

If you have a long commute, then you may know the advantages of using the carpool lane.  Not only is there usually less traffic in these lanes, saving you time, but it also makes it easier for you to drive at a constant speed, helping you with fuel efficiency.  Because hybrid cars are so eco friendly, some states are allowing hybrid drivers to use the carpool lane regardless of how many passengers they have in the vehicle at the time.

Environmental impact

If you are concerned about the environment and your carbon footprint, then buying a hybrid car for the environmental advantages alone can be a huge benefit.  Hybrid cars produce fewer harmful emissions so they allow you to cut back on air pollution.  And since they use less fuel and/or an alternative energy source they can help to cut back on environmental destruction caused by oil drilling.  And if you convert your current car to a hybrid, you can help keep an old car out of the landfill for longer. Car conversion not only saves you money, it will greatly extend the length of time that you can enjoy your current vehicle while simultaneously saving the environment.



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Carlo Hernandez asked:


If you are concerned about your carbon footprint and are looking for a way to go eco friendly, one of the things that you may want to consider is an alternative fuel car.  Whether you are planning on buying a hybrid car or convert your old one, alternative energy can help you to be more eco friendly and cut down on the cost of fuel.  Here is a look at just five of the benefits that going green can provide you.

Cost

Buying a car is a huge investment, but switching to clean fuel doesn’t have to be.  When speaking long term, choosing a hybrid that uses clean fuel can cut your fuel prices in half, saving you plenty of money each year.  And while a car is a major purchase, many hybrids are available for a similar price or even less than their gasoline or diesel powered counterparts.

Another aspect to consider, is buying a converter kit for you current car.  These kits are much less expensive than investing in a new car yet will still help you to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on fuel.

As with any purchase, the amount you save going eco friendly will be determined by how much you drive, how much the car costs over the time used, type of car (hybrid or not), as well as other factors.

Tax break

While a tax break alone may not be enough to switch to an eco friendly vehicle, it can be an added bonus.  When you buy a new, qualifying hybrid you will get a federal tax break that can make the vehicle even more affordable.  However, this benefit is limited to the first 60,000 hybrids of each model, so you will need to buy one soon.  You may find that you will qualify for other tax benefits on a state level.  Your tax professional will be able to tell you what benefits you would qualify for.

Insurance breaks

Another reason to switch to a clean fuel car is that you may get a break on your insurance.  Some insurance companies feel that the owners of green cars are overall more responsible drivers and provide green discounts, so therefore you may be able to qualify for some insurance discounts.

Carpool lane

If you have a long commute, then you may know the advantages of using the carpool lane.  Not only is there usually less traffic in these lanes, saving you time, but it also makes it easier for you to drive at a constant speed, helping you with fuel efficiency.  Because hybrid cars are so eco friendly, some states are allowing hybrid drivers to use the carpool lane regardless of how many passengers they have in the vehicle at the time.

Environmental impact

If you are concerned about the environment and your carbon footprint, then buying a hybrid car for the environmental advantages alone can be a huge benefit.  Hybrid cars produce fewer harmful emissions so they allow you to cut back on air pollution.  And since they use less fuel and/or an alternative energy source they can help to cut back on environmental destruction caused by oil drilling.  And if you convert your current car to a hybrid, you can help keep an old car out of the landfill for longer. Car conversion not only saves you money, it will greatly extend the length of time that you can enjoy your current vehicle while simultaneously saving the environment.



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GraduatesMovie asked:


We are not talking about gasoline, diesel fuel, or kerosene right now. An alternative fuel is defined as the choice of any fuel other than the traditional selections; gasoline and diesel.

What are the choices?

1.    Ethanol. Ethanol is a high-octane, low-emission fuel that has been used in racing for a long time. It is now made from renewable plant materials and can be used in normal vehicles. The bad thing about Ethanol is that it gets lower fuel economy ratings as opposed to gasoline.

2.    Methanol. Methanol has a high octane rating and a low emission of pollutants. These characteristics make it a great fuel to use in engines in cars. Since the 1960s, the cars in the Indianapolis 500, which is a big race that is held annually, were powered with methanol.

3.    Natural gas. Natural gas is a by-product of oil drilling and also coal mining. You can also harvest natural gas from natural gas fields.

4.    Propane is another type of alternative fuel. Another name for this kind of gas is liquefied petroleum gas. Propane is the gas that is made when natural gas and crude oil is refined.

5.    There are also blends of fuels. This is how we get fuels known as E-85 where it is a mix of 85% Ethanol and 15% gasoline. These are defined as mixtures between traditional and alternative fuels. Another blend is B20.

6.    Hydrogen is one of the more popular alternative fuels. Hydrogen is made commercially by refining it from petroleum. You can also make hydrogen by passing electricity through water. This process is known as electrolysis.

7.    Electricity is another alternative fuel. We consider electricity as an alternative fuel choice because it has been used to power the motors in electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular nowadays and they will be mass-produced in late 2009. Most people think this is the answer to our economy problem but what most people don’t realize is how expensive these electric vehicles are.

8.    Biodiesel is another popular alternative fuel source. This is an additive or even a replacement for diesel fuel. biodiesel is made from animal fat and sometimes vegetable oil.

9.    Biomass. Biomass is derived from materials that are biological, predominantly vegetation, these include biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

10.P-series. This is a colorless, clear liquid fuel which have between a 89 and 93 octane rating. P-series fuels are designed to be used in flex-fuel vehicles. This will become more and more popular as we see more flex-fuel vehicles.

This is just one list of the alternative fuels. There are many more out there we just need to discover them. Once a good alternative fuel is discovered that we can mass-produce very cheap which gets better gas mileage than our traditional fuel, the economy should start booming again.



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Mark Weiss asked:


Climate change caused by humans is still a widely debated topic. Studies produce conflict data and predictions about changing global weather patterns. Some scientists argue that the Earth’s climate fluctuates naturally with time and that humans are not the cause of any detected changes in weather trends. Almost all scientists can agree that something about the Earth’s climate is changing. Polar ice caps are slowly melting. It is suspected by some that the main culprit climate change caused by humans is greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide are believed to trap heat in the Earths atmosphere, which is steadily increasing the temperature of the planet.

In order to reduce the amount of green house gasses that human beings create from daily life many people have decided to convert their automobile over to running on an Alternative Source of Fuel Automobiles are one of the largest sources of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Propane fuel conversion kits are becoming increasingly popular. Running an automobile on propane produces less greenhouse gases than an automobile that uses gasoline. Installing a propane dual fuel conversion kit can also increase overall gas mileage and reduce the cost of your fuel. Installing a LPG conversion kit in your automobile can cost between a thousand and five thousand dollars.

There are other kinds of Alternative Fuel Vehicles that do not have the same advantages as a vehicle running on propane. Electric cars do not have the same gas mileage advantages as a car that runs on a liquid fuel, but they do reduce greenhouse emissions. Ethanol is another alternative fuel that is becoming more popular. Brazil has more automobiles that run on ethanol than on standard gasoline. Another advantage to using alternative fuel vehicles is reducing dependency on foreign oil. Some people feel that reducing dependency on foreign oil will help strengthen domestic economies.



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ATrujillo asked:


 The world now is becoming worse in many aspects; the supply of crude oil is becoming less and the cost is on the rise. Carbon dioxide has a harmful effect on our bodies and has been, also linked to the warming of our atmosphere which is called the green house effect.

    Alternative fuels also known as non-conventional fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as a fuel and are not made from petroleum, these maybe the answer. They would seem to be a better solution to our problem with global warming. Water power cars are the latest craze in the automotive world. Thousands of people around the world, in America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa are converting their cars and trucks to save fuel with water.

 

   Hydrogen fuel cell cars, water power cars, whatever you call them it all comes down to the same thing and that’s cheap clean fuel. Alternative fuels can help any nation become more energy independent. Water fuel cars will give our nation and many others the freedom to choose what they want. We could see a lower demand for fuel, which can lead to a drop in oil prices. Global fuel is rapidly reaching the highest consumption level ever and its price is increasing at an unbelievable rate.

   Alternative fuels have the desirable energy efficiency and pollution reduction features. Water fueled vehicles are the way of the future and automakers need to seriously consider that fact. Alternative fuels are vying for a spot on the transportation highway as petroleum costs escalate, light oil reserves diminish, and environmental issues raise concerns. They are better for the environment and often better for the economy than fossil fuels. Water fuel cars maybe the right answer to these problems. Water powered cars are what many people have dreamed of for many years.

 

   We as a nation need to consider what we are doing to our planet. Just think about what our world will be like in the next century or two, if we do not do something in the very near future. Our children, their grandchildren and so on would be living in a world with smog and air pollution so bad that they would not be able to go outside to play or at best would have to wear a mask to do so. We are polluting our planet and soon we will not have fresh water to drink and fresh air to breath. All of us not just our country, but the world needs to come up with a better solution to these problems. Learn how to run your vehicle from water and start doing your part for the environment.



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Gregg Hall asked:


Whether OPEC likes it or not, hybrid owners are changing the landscape for car sales and automobile ownership. The process has been slow. Many people were not and are still not ready to pay the extra money to buy a hybrid. Some fear that technology will bypass the hybrid in the next couple of years, making their purchase a bad investment. Many people do not want to be the first one to buy a strange, new technology, just like when the regular car came into existence. Others have found that tax incentives and saving money on gas are the best reasons to go hybrid. For most hybrid buyers, however, the environmental reasons to buy one have outweighed any other reasons or any negative fallout that is present now or foreseeable in the future.

1. Emissions: With all the news about high gas prices and people across the country feeling the effects in their pockets, having a hybrid sounds like a great idea. Hybrids are super-efficient with their use of gas because they rely on electricity for some of their power. This has made it possible for hybrids to get great mileage. The environmental impact is phenomenal. Hybrids use less gas sending fewer emissions into the air. Chemicals from dioxide, to nitrogen oxide all get into the air with gas cars. Although hybrids still emit some fumes and toxic elements, they are performing so well that the EPA has made special ratings for them because they are putting about 90% fewer emissions into the air.

2. Getting Gas: Acquiring gas has become a major concern for the entire world. Having to build more refineries to produce gas will only put more chemicals into the air. Finding places to get oil are also becoming harder to find. Many have objected to the government’s desire to drill in the protected parks of Alaska. Depending less on oil helps contributes to less destruction of our natural resources.

3. Effects on the Human Environment: When emissions get churned into the air, the environment is not the only place that suffers. The human body does not take well to the excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, lead and other chemicals that gas-guzzling cars use. Sitting in traffic, one experiences the odors alone that carry the cancer causing agents. All of the chemicals produced by emissions have been linked to cancer, birth defects and a number of other preventable conditions.

4. Ride the Environmental Wave: Many people say that buying a hybrid is a great idea, but not everyone buys one. It is hard to blame people, since the cost is thousands of dollars more than for a regular car, but for those who are taking the first steps, they are contributing to environmental awareness. Choosing a hybrid helps the market get the price down, which allows for more people to buy them. Buying a hybrid is one of the best ways to get the environmental domino effect moving.

5. Encourage the Government: Buying a hybrid car is beginning to get some encouragement from the government. Known for being dependant on foreign oil for years, the Federal government is beginning to see the benefits of hybrid cars being on the market and is offering tax credits through the end of 2006. Each person that buys a hybrid can be eligible for up to a $2,000 credit on their tax return. When more and more hybrids are purchased, it is likely that the government will consider the environment in its decisions.

Numerous other reasons to buy hybrids are being offered by the makers of hybrids, those who have already purchased one, and by dealerships. To many, any issues that makers are having with the production of hybrids seem like less of a problem than finding real ways to stay green. Emissions and efficiency have come to the forefront of people’s minds more and more as gas prices rise. People are starting to be more concerned about the effects of high emissions on their health, and their future grandchildren. Choosing a hybrid makes a huge statement to the government and to other consumers. More and more people are beginning to “choose green” when they buy a vehicle, which encourages more people that doing so is the right way to go.



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Tom Tessin asked:


Most people today are looking for a better and safer vehicle that will cost us less to operate when it comes to buying fuel. Many people are seriously looking at buying hybrids because of the savings on fuel. Most hybrid vehicles get a much better mileage and need fewer repairs over the years than the gasoline driven cars of the past. The problem for most people is the fact that since hybrid vehicles are relatively new they are afraid that they may not be able to find the alternative fuel whenever they need it. Alternative fuels are not yet readily accessible like the modern day service stations that provide gasoline on every corner. The makers of the hybrid vehicles are starting to recognize this factor and are now getting busy finding a method for the consumer to find what alternative fuel needed for his vehicle.

Some alternative fuels such as diesel fuel is very easily found at the service stations while other fuels such as methane or a place for an electric vehicle is not so easily made available. The alternative fuel situation is predicted to become a serious problem in the early part of this century since there are more and more hybrid vehicles but less alternative fuel stations available for the consumer.

The use of an alternative fuel is readily accepted by people in foreign countries and the growth of alternative fuel stations seems to be going hand and hand together. The problem with the American market is the oil companies do not want to give up their place in the market as the leader in fuel providers. The oil companies do not want to take a chance that the American Manufacturers will make hybrid vehicles that will no longer need the power of gasoline and that are why they fight the idea of alternative fuels. It is much safer to use some of the fuels that are made from natural products like corn and oats which is better for our eco system than it is to use the gasoline that the oil companies produce.

The eco system and even the fact that our economy would be better is not the concern of the big oil industrialist their concern is all about the money. Let’s face it we hit the pockets pretty sternly if everyone no longer needed oil. The demand would shake the oil industry causing them to tumble and perhaps some of the wars that we are now engaged in would no longer be necessary. The most of the oil is found in the Middle East while products to make the alternative fuels can be grown in America. We pay farmers millions of dollars a year not to grow corn but if we were using it to make an alternative gas then everyone would profit in America today!

Hopefully by now, you have a better understanding on what kind of alternative fuels are out there. There are so many great causes that can help you save money. As the world grows, so will the alternative fuels!



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Jason asked:


The history of alternative fuel can be found way back in the 1900’s but as a result of political and economical factors, the development of alternative fuels was short lived. Fossil fuels are still the foundation of the economy but in the 1970’s, there was a extreme fuel shortage in America that led to taking a serious look at alternative fuels.

Due to an over reliance on fossil products, America were at the mercy of foreign countries with oil reserves to run their economy. This led to a paradigm shift when in 1973, OPEC reduced its production, corresponding causing an increase in oil prices. As a result the world has to take a serious view of the reliance and in 1978, diesel engines began regaining popularity as well as other alternative fuel such as biodiesel.

Now, almost 3 decades later, the world is dawn to many other sources of alternative fuels. Ethanol is one of the fuels that is taken its place and is essentially make from grain. Researchers have come up with a certain form of grain alcohol that can power a combustion engine as well as oil-based products but more kind to the environment. In addition, it is much economical to produce too besides creating more jobs for corn farmers.

Other forms of alternative fuels are methane, propane, and hydrogen that can be used to power modern vehicles. But to effectively run such fuels on traditional engines, modifications have to be done. Thus, this led to the development of the modern alternative fuels vehicles.

Technology and environment have much less to do with the development of alternative fuels than mainly politics. To a certain degree, it is true as politicians, being politicians, tend to lean on mass opinions. With global warming becoming hip, politicians lean towards supporting and developing alternative fuels.

Whatever the motive, it has been proven beyond any doubts that alternative fuels contribute effectively to the environment. In retrospect when it comes to the development of alternative fuels, great advancement has been made and the present and near future, new technologies will emerge to make it an exciting technology.

Different types of alternative fuels continue to make big stride and will continue as fossil fuels are limited and will in due course dry up. Being environmental conscious is essential but alternative replacements are necessary and scientists will continue to make alternative fuels technologies more cost effective as well as efficient to use so that the masses will take to it.



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