Bio-Fuels Myth Or Reality
Author: Charles Syracuse
Author: Charles Syracuse
The United States is currently in an uproar over the price of
automotive fuel. Industry insiders are projecting the average
cost of fuel to go above $3.00 per/gal. in the coming months.
Many people are starting to reconsider summer vacation plans.
So what solution do we have on the horizon to fight the ever
increasing cost of Gasoline.
Today's latest term of indearment is Bio-Fuel. What could this
actually be, are we going to place corn-cobs in our fuel tanks.
Do we simply pull up to the local Fast Food restaurant and order
a #3 and 10 gals of grease. Well not exactly, let's discuss each
of the alternatives currently in the mass media vernacular:
First up the french fry grease myth. Yes with the properly
equipped fast food restaurant we could drive up and fill up our
diesel car. However one big issue with this fast food fad, their
isn't enough grease generated to supply the nations thirst for
fuel. If we are going to convert over then we must have the
supply to meet the demand or the price of the fuel will not be
reduced to a usable level. While the technology is available
the fuel supply opportunity is not readily available. This
technology is commonly referred to Bio-Diesel.
So let's take a step back tot he farmers who generate the oil
that we are discussing. Can we generate enough Bio-Diesel to
feed the nations thirst? This question is hotly debated in
academic circles as well as farming circles. Current estimates
are that if we convert over at the fuel consumption rate we are
currently utilizing that we will have to have 75% of all of our
US farm capacity to meet demand. While this will put many of
the farmers currently out of work back to work, we would then
be dependent on other nations for our food supplies. This may
or may not be palatable to most involved.
What other options are currently on the blocks. E85 and M85 are
both standard unleaded alternatives. The E in E85 stands for
Ethanol, it is a product of corn and can easily be manufactured
by todays farmers. The M in M85 stands for Methanol, which is a
product of landfills and biodegradables (grass clippings, and
other items). The 85 in the title is representative of the % of
Methane or Ethanol present in the fuel. Are these options
viable, again we have the debate of supply versus demand. To
convert over enough farm land to make these a reality will
probably cause food supply issues. The final issue against E85
and M85 is that they have a 25% reduction in fuel mileage
adding to the cost of operation of your vehicle if you use
them.
Current replacement fuels do not make the cut for long term
viability. The auto industry is hard after alternatives to
middle eastern automotive fuels. They are listening to their
customers and will create a solution. So don't run out and buy
that Bio fuel vehicle just yet the industry is still maturing.
Charles Cater
About The Author: Charles has a Problem Solving BlackBelt from
Daimler Chrysler. He has spend 11 years in the automotive
industry. This article may be reprinted freely as long as all
links remain active. http://www.technologyblog.biz
http://www.bridalblog.info http://www.TheWebLlama.com
http://www.HealthyDietMagazine.com
http://www.Travelblogger.info
automotive fuel. Industry insiders are projecting the average
cost of fuel to go above $3.00 per/gal. in the coming months.
Many people are starting to reconsider summer vacation plans.
So what solution do we have on the horizon to fight the ever
increasing cost of Gasoline.
Today's latest term of indearment is Bio-Fuel. What could this
actually be, are we going to place corn-cobs in our fuel tanks.
Do we simply pull up to the local Fast Food restaurant and order
a #3 and 10 gals of grease. Well not exactly, let's discuss each
of the alternatives currently in the mass media vernacular:
First up the french fry grease myth. Yes with the properly
equipped fast food restaurant we could drive up and fill up our
diesel car. However one big issue with this fast food fad, their
isn't enough grease generated to supply the nations thirst for
fuel. If we are going to convert over then we must have the
supply to meet the demand or the price of the fuel will not be
reduced to a usable level. While the technology is available
the fuel supply opportunity is not readily available. This
technology is commonly referred to Bio-Diesel.
So let's take a step back tot he farmers who generate the oil
that we are discussing. Can we generate enough Bio-Diesel to
feed the nations thirst? This question is hotly debated in
academic circles as well as farming circles. Current estimates
are that if we convert over at the fuel consumption rate we are
currently utilizing that we will have to have 75% of all of our
US farm capacity to meet demand. While this will put many of
the farmers currently out of work back to work, we would then
be dependent on other nations for our food supplies. This may
or may not be palatable to most involved.
What other options are currently on the blocks. E85 and M85 are
both standard unleaded alternatives. The E in E85 stands for
Ethanol, it is a product of corn and can easily be manufactured
by todays farmers. The M in M85 stands for Methanol, which is a
product of landfills and biodegradables (grass clippings, and
other items). The 85 in the title is representative of the % of
Methane or Ethanol present in the fuel. Are these options
viable, again we have the debate of supply versus demand. To
convert over enough farm land to make these a reality will
probably cause food supply issues. The final issue against E85
and M85 is that they have a 25% reduction in fuel mileage
adding to the cost of operation of your vehicle if you use
them.
Current replacement fuels do not make the cut for long term
viability. The auto industry is hard after alternatives to
middle eastern automotive fuels. They are listening to their
customers and will create a solution. So don't run out and buy
that Bio fuel vehicle just yet the industry is still maturing.
Charles Cater
About The Author: Charles has a Problem Solving BlackBelt from
Daimler Chrysler. He has spend 11 years in the automotive
industry. This article may be reprinted freely as long as all
links remain active. http://www.technologyblog.biz
http://www.bridalblog.info http://www.TheWebLlama.com
http://www.HealthyDietMagazine.com
http://www.Travelblogger.info
