Problem
Solving
09 April
2002
Oil Alternatives
Oil pollution threatens the lives of
marine wildlife that is caused by leakage from oil tankers and refineries, but
is preventable by using oil alternatives.
Oil pollution kills sea birds, fish, otters, and etcetera. Our society needs to search for oil
alternatives so we can protect marine wildlife for future generations and
improve our air quality. Every year some
three million tons of oil finds its way into the sea from oil tankers,
production wells and land run-off. (Save the Sea: Oil Pollution) When oil gets onto the birds wings they are
unable to fly and end up dying a horrible death. It’s the same if they were to land on a beach
or in the water that is polluted with oil.
If they get stuck in the oil they are usually eaten by other animal
species or they starve to death. As oil
gets onto the fur of otters, the otters are unable to swim and unable to
maintain their body temperature and they usually freeze to death. Oil spills can be cleaned up by using
chemicals, floating booms and at extreme times by burning the oil. The chemicals used to clean up oil spills can
in turn do more damage than good.
Inflatable oil booms are often used to surround and contain oil and
prevent it from reaching the shore but it isn’t always successful. (Save The
Sea: Oil Pollution) The oil alternatives
need to be environmentally safe and should be cheaper than oil and more accessible. Alternative fuels include methanol, electricity,
and natural gas among others. I’m going
to show in this paper how these oil alternatives are environmentally safe and
more accessible.
Methanol
is safer for humans and the environment then oil is. Oil spills can danger the environment and
animals that it supports. On the other
hand if there were to ever be a methanol spill such as one in the ocean, the
effects are far more less then that of oil.
When methanol comes into contact with water it is quickly
dissolved. “The environmental benefits
of using methanol extend well beyond the fuel cell vehicle. Compared to conventional gasoline, methanol
is less polluting to water, less toxic, does not cause cancer and is much safer
to use. Methanol really is the clear
alternative,” said AMI president and CEO John Lynn (Study Says Methanol Safer).
Methanol can be made from natural gas and biomass, which is plant
material and animal waste. The benefit
of using methanol is not just because it’s environmentally safe but that it
would be cheaper for consumers and more accessible than oil. Most of our countries supply of oil comes
from importing it from other countries or drilling in the ocean. Methanol is used as fuel in about
16,000-20,000 vehicles. “None of the
major auto manufacturers are currently offering methanol compatible vehicles” (Methanol Vehicles).
This could all be changed if the American drivers and other consumers
demand for a more cheaper and environmentally safe fuel alternative such as
methanol. If people start buying more
cars that run on methanol then automakers will be producing more vehicles that
run on this alternative fuel than on gasoline that is made from oil. The more we use methanol for our cars or for
heating our homes the less we will become dependable on imported oil, which the
worlds supply of oil could be gone in not a few centuries but in a few decades.
Electricity
is another alternative to using oil.
Electricity can be used to run our cars by the use of fuel cells or
batteries. “Batteries are energy storage
devices, but unlike batteries, fuel cells convert chemical energy to
electricity”(Electricity General Information). A benefit of using an electric vehicle is
that you are not polluting the environment, because one reason is that your
electric cars wont have an exhaust pipe.
Chemicals that fuel cells convert into energy are a mix of natural gas,
hydropower, nuclear, and coal. Fuel cell
use can decrease our countries oil imports, and if about 20 percent of our cars
are run by fuel cells or batteries then the countries oil imports would be
decreased by 1.5 million barrels of oil every day. (Benefits of Fuel
Cells) Electric vehicles not only keep
our environment safe from oil pollution but it also doesn’t create noise
pollution like internal combustion engines run on gasoline. Electric cars have electric motors that don’t
make any noise therefore reducing the amount of noise pollution in urban
cities. Major car manufacturers don’t
create methanol vehicles but do make over 10,000 electric cars as of the year
2001. Such popular vehicles are the 2002
Ford Ranger, 2002 Nissan Altra, and the 2002 Toyota Rav4. (Alternative Fuel Vehicles)
These vehicles can range in price from $15,000 to $40,000, which is
about the same price as vehicles powered from gasoline. If consumers are concerned about where they
could recharge these electric vehicles they can look no further than their own
homes or local businesses. In Arizona
and Southern California more electric vehicle stations are being created. Recharging your vehicle is as simple as a
cord and plug or a cord and paddle, which ever your car is equipped with. Another good benefit for American drivers is
that the cost of fuel for fuel cells in electric cars is considerably cheaper
than gasoline.
Natural
gas is a good fuel alternative because there is a plentiful supply of natural
gas around the world that will last for centuries unlike oil that will only
last for as few as 4 decades. Mining oil
can contaminate underground water where as natural gas does not. Natural gas is lighter than air and if in case
of spills it well not puddle and will immediately rise into the
atmosphere. “Natural gas is also clean
burning and produces significantly fewer harmful emissions than reformulated
gasoline” (Natural Gas (CNG/LNG)).
Benefits of natural gas besides it being environmentally safe is that
most natural gas consumed in the United States is produced from natural gas
wells in the U.S. saving consumers money from having to import oil. Natural gas fuel cost is less that that of
gasoline, and fueling station can be found in most major cities. There are about 200,000 vehicles run on
natural gas and some of the popular vehicles are the 2002 Chrysler Dodge Ram
Wagon, Chrysler Dodge Ram Van, 2002 Ford F150, Ford Crown Victoria, 2002
GM_Chevey Silverado, and the 2002 Honda Civic GX. There are many cars out on the market that
run on alternative fuels and the same fuels can be used for our homes. If more people purchase cars that use these
alternative fuels that I have told you about then our country will be less
reliant on imported oil. “Seas can
recycle many pollutants but it may take decades, with great loss of marine
wildlife, before they recover from the effects of severe oil spills” (Save the
Sea: Oil Pollution). There are many oil
alternatives that don’t harm the environment when being used or being
transported.
Cited Page
The Official Website of Alternative Fuels Data Center. Natural Gas (CNG/LNG) Page.
< http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/altfuel/natural_gas.html>
The Official Website of Alternative Fuels Data Center. Alternative Fuel Vehicles Page.
< http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/afvehicles.html>
The Official Website of Fuel Cells 2000 The online fuel
cell information center. Benefits Of Fuel
Cells Page. < http://www.fuelcells.org/fcbenefi.htm >
The Official Website of Alternative Fuels Data Center. Electricity General Information Page. < http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/altfuel/ele_general.html>
The Official Website of Alternative Fuels Data Center. Methanol Vehicles Page.
< http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/afv/methanol.html>
The Official Website of the Methanol Institute. Study Says Methanol Safer for the Environment than
Gasoline: Methanol Video to Premiere Page. January 28, 1999
< http://www.methanol.org/methanol/press/pr99128-2.html
>
“Save the Sea: Oil Pollution.” Wildlife Explorer.
Conservation Issues. Card 3.