McPherson High School
McPherson, Kansas
Teacher: Robin Long
Consequences of Modern Fuel Sources
By: Natasha Catton
12th Grade
It would save regular fuel, such as gasoline, if everyone decided to switch to an alternative fuel. It may be cheaper in the beginning because people would not know what products to use as an alternative so they would continue to use the supply and demand theory. The prices will more than likely rise due to the sales of the alternative-fueling product. No matter what, any type of fueling will eventually be expensive.
In the Energy Policy Act of 2005, it talks about the different types of energy- efficient sources and how they can benefit our society. The act was made to help save on the energy we use in our everyday lives. A lot of people will admit to not being too concerned about the energy they use. Therefore, in order to get people to respond to this act, there would have to be some kind of benefit. …Consumers who purchase and install specific products, such as energy-efficient windows, doors, heating, cooling equipment, etc. can receive a tax credit of up to $500 in the year 2006. This also applies to people who purchase hybrid-electric vehicles. Throughout the year, the sales of energy products have increased more and more. It could be because of the credit benefits, or maybe people have decided that they actually need to save energy. Whatever it is, it is obviously working.
It is now the end of 2006, and there is debating to determine whether or not the act should continue giving out the tax credit through the year 2007. If it does not continue, there could be less energy-efficient products sold, which means more energy could be burned up. Results of burning up all sources of energy would be in some situations colder shower, less warm meals, little to no driving, and so on. Is that a risk we’re willing to take? We will just have to wait and see what happens.
An alternative fuel option is using ethanol. Ethanol is simply a monohydric primary alcohol that comes from agricultural crops, such as corn. This product can be used as an alternative for gasoline in vehicles. The vehicles that run off this product are called Flexible Fuel Vehicles (F.F.V.). There are some car manufacturers that sell this type of vehicle, but it [may be difficult to] find one.
…Using ethanol is supposed to reduce the consumption of petroleum fuels and help with air pollution. An important thing to remember is that there still has to be at least 15 percent of gasoline in the mixture. When adding things like ethanol to gasoline it also reduces carbon monoxide emissions. The only down side is that it costs more to produce ethanol than it does gasoline.
When it is cold, the best thing to have is a corn stove. Heating a home with a corn stove saves on money and corn is like an unlimited fuel source. According to state-of-the-art technology, it is said that it only takes about a bushel of corn to heat an average sized home for a day. With some research, it was concluded that it is normally around $1.75 for one bushel.
The price is not the only positive side to owning a corn stove. They are also known for being safe; the outside of the stove stays nice and cool to prevent burns. [So] they are great to have around kids. The reason that this stove is so important…is [that] the corn [releases] oxygen [rather than] carbon monoxide and other harmful gases [into] the atmosphere. [While heating,] it is helping everything around us [as a side benefit].
[No one knows] how much fuel and energy we actually do have left in this world. This would have to be one of the best times to [switch to alternative energy resources]. We could wake up one morning and have nothing left. What would we do then? We probably would not know what to do, and that’s why we should all start planning ahead before it is too late.
My recommendation is that everyone should use a corn stove to heat his or her home, because it helps the atmosphere and it is affordable. It is consumer friendly as well as environmentally safe. According to my recommendation, my prediction is that by the year 2015 A.D. there will be more people using an alternative fuel instead of modern sources.