Future of Fuel

Now that gas prices have skyrocketed, oil reserves are low, international relations in the Middle East are shaky, and the North Eastern half of the globe is experiencing a drastic climate change, we as Americans are finally trying to find alternative fuel sources to keep our economy stable and growing.

There are many ideas we may embrace, but the smartest choice would be a source that is biodegradable or will break down without affecting our environment. Some ideas that have been proposed are biodeiesel, hydrogen, methanol, and propane. Propane and methanol do still release some harmful pollutants, but are still much lower than the gasoline operated vehicles. Propane is a more desirable over methanol because methanol has been known to produce a lot of formaldehyde during emissions.

Since those two products still contaminate we should concentrate primarily on biodeisel, ethanol, and hydrogen.

Biodeisel is domestically produced like propane and methanol but unlike them are biodegradable and are produced by renewable fuel. This product still uses fossil fuels but at a much reduced rate compared to propane and methanol.

Ethanol is alcohol based and can also be produced from trees, and grass which is called bioethanol, this fuel is mixed on 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, but currently is only mixing 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline on cars right now.

Hydrogen can be produced in unlimited quantities and is a renewable energy source that will most likely be considered by the U.S. All these possibilities are being explored by our government but it seems like hydrogen and or ethanol will be the most likely to prevail.

All these energy sources reduce harmful pollutants, are more accessible than oil and cheaper in cost. Maybe we will come to a definite decision or maybe we will embrace more than one source; but one thing is for certain, there will be an alternative source soon. To compare these different energy sources to different properties visit this site and click on what you would like to compare!

Al Gore on Environmental Issues

"It is really for all of our children and grandchildren and great- grandchildren that we fight to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, and it's for them that we also fight to honor the legacy of Rachel Carson," Al Gore said in one of his speeches. He also addressed that many who are involved in helping the environment as adults started as children or learned of environmental issues as a child like Rachael Carson did.
When I first heard of Al Gore back in the 90s I really liked his stance on environmental issues and began to wonder what he had done during his time as Vice President. I wish I could say that he led the same path he took before becoming elected, but most evidence shows his environmental campaign went down the gutter while in the White House.

Before his presidency he had written a book called Earth in Balance where he expresses his concern on hazardous effects that are taking toll on our environment. He seemed to have a deep passion for saving and helping the environment, but when elected as Vice President in the Clinton Administration he did not do much for his passion. During his administration he said nothing when timber companies began cutting down forests in the Pacific Northwest and said nothing when the administration approved a hazardous waste incinerator in Liverpool,Ohio. There are several other issues where the administration looked the other way, but these are the ones I found to be most disturbing.

I know Al Gore has raised money for environmental issues and has done numerous speeches and has acknowledged global warming and other issues, but no matter what is in the interest of the minority, (business,person, political party etc.) he should always keep the majority in mind. (Environment, which affects everybody) If you advocate and issue stand behind it, even when pressure is strong. I know he did not make the ultimate and final decisions in the Clinton administration, but it does not seem like he spoke up either.
If he does run for election in 2008, hopefully he will be able to make a memorable impression, pass legislation on this problem, and stand up for what he says he believes in.

Splash into Car"pooling"

It’s obvious that carpooling helps the environment, but it has also been proven that it benefits the employer and employee in many aspects as well. Surveys conducted have proven that employees who carpool usually tend to have a more positive attitude and less stress when at work. This results in more work productivity and less absentees for the employer.
So, perhaps you don’t think you will be more pleasant and more prone to have more work done but it’s only logical to assume that carpooling limits drivers on the road, requires less parking spaces, saves you gas money and can make your ride much quicker with the use of an HOV lane.
To help encourage carpooling many employers offer incentive programs, which may include reduced parking rate or free parking, or rewards such as prizes or drawings. Employers who offer these programs and meet certain requirements are put in National Standard of Excellence classification designated by the DOT, and the EPA, which recognizes these employers as the best places to work for commuters.
You may be thinking well how do I get a carpool partner(s)? It’s really easy and can be done over the computer through Commuter Connections. This communication outlet will match you online through the CAP (commuter assistance program) with somebody in your area or set up a carpool within your complex or subdivision.
In the future I hope you consider carpooling to benefit your attitude, work productivity, wallet and most of all, the environment, which all of us use and should be conscious of.

Daylight "Savings" Time

Today started daylight savings time for the spring, which mean everybody had to spring forward an hour this morning. We do this every year but today marked the first time starting the conservation three weeks early, which will in return causes us to fall back and hour a week later. The reason for the change is still to conserve energy, but has changed due to the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Though we are saving energy, there are a few side effects. One of the major concerns of moving up the date was the switch of electronics and computers, which were already programmed for the old daylight savings time. Many believed it would start a mini Y2K scare, but snafu software has helped older computers read the new time, while others have to be changed manually. Other concerns were false airline departure times, stocks set at certain times to trade could start late, and many business and people may be late to open or to work. Hopefully the switch will benefit the economy's consumption of energy and make up for all the side efects we may experience because of it.

Third Generation Hybrids

Toyota has recently come out with third generation hybrid cars, and with this comes more efficiency and better technology!I've heard many myths about hybrid cars and their ability to conserve energy and myths about how they drive, so i thought it would be appropriate to go find out for myself. My friend Amanda and I were able to test drive 2 of the 3 cars that they offer in hybrid, and we were very impressed. Amanda and me test drove the Prius and the Camry. According to Edgar Rivera, a McDonough Toyota Sales Professional, the Prius has the lowest emission standards out of all the hybrid cars and is considered an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle, which means it produces 70 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average vehicle. I was also informed that these hybrids did not have to be charged, because the cars use the energy used from braking to charge the battery.

The Prius also contained many other features such as a camera to help when backing up, a touch screen pad, which tells you when your car is using electricity or gas, the weather, mapping and other helpful settings. This car also had a Smart Key System, this system works by picking up a sensor on the key within a certain radius of the car. The doors will automatically unlock with the sense of the key and the engine can be started with a push of a button!

While test driving the Prius I noticed the ride was very smooth and it felt as if you were gliding because the hybrid engine doesn't contain gears like normal vehicles. I had many people tell me that hybrids did not pick up speed very quickly, but the third generation hybrids seemed to keep up with the ordinary vehicles. While entering the interstate on the entrance ramp I was able to hit 70 mph without flooring it before I even got off the entrance ramp.

My friend Amanda drove the Camry and the ride seemed just as smooth in the back seat as it did while I was driving the Prius. If your not already sold on the idea, you should also keep in mind that the government gives you 1,700 dollar tax credit for driving a hybrid, and the third generation hybrids get between 50 to 60 miles to the gallon, which is almost triple that of an average gas operated vehicle.