Cars and Environmental Pollution - Case Study Example

Cars and pollution Introduction The issue of environmental pollution has been very controversial in the recent past. The sources of energy have been proved to be the major causes of environmental pollution. Several studies have revealed that fossil fuel are the major causes of environmental pollutions. In this regard, many international bodies have immerged to campaign against the use of fossil fuels in the industries. In this regard, industries have been trying to divert from the use of fossils fuel to alternative sources of fuel. In essence, the alternative sources of energy can be described as environmental friendly sources that are not connected with fossils fuel. The automobile engineering industry has grown quite dynamic in the past few decades. Some of the transformations that have been experienced in the automobile industry is the development of solar and electric powered engines. The transformations are aimed at promoting clean environmental development and the efficient use of energy (Craddock, 2008). Apparently, the engineering field has embraced the new technology in developing environmental friendly motor products. This focus of this report is to evaluate the use of alternative source of energy to power cars and other automobile machinery. Comparison of the technology used The technology used to manufacture the cars that use alternative energy sources is more advanced than that used to make fossils fuel powered cars. In essence, the level of skills and intellectual capacity used to make alternative energy powered cars cannot compare to that of making fossils fuel powered cars. Sources of electricity for solar cars and electrical cars The solar cars derive electricity from the sun. The modern technology has facilitated the development of solar powered out mobiles. In this case, the energy from the sun is trapped through solar panels and stored in car batteries. Afterwards, the power is used to propel the engine light the motor cars headlights. The trapped energy is also used to power air conditioning devices and maintain the temperatures at the desired levels. In essence, the use of solar energy in the automobile industry is projected to continue rising in the future years due the threat of exhaustion of fossils fuel. The use of electricity to power cars is another recent development in the automobile industry. The electric cars derive electricity from the hydropower. The electrical cars have given way to hybrid cars. In essence, the hybrid cars have been the most recent developments in the automobiles industry. The hybrid cars use efficient energy storage devices for propulsion other than the fossil fuel. The major advantage of hybrid cars is that they do not produce smoke fumes. In essence, the do not pollute the environment by whatever means. Researchers argue that if the world population can embrace the full use of hybrid cars, the rate of environmental pollution can decrease by a great percentage. Apparently the uses of alternative sources in cars can never be exhausted. The uses are quite diverse and all points towards a sustainable development. It imperative to identify that people should undertake development programs that are sensitive to environmental conservation. Effects of alternative energy sources on technology The alternative energy sources have several effects on technology. For instance, most alternatives sources of energy are gifts of nature. In this regard, exploiting the alternative source such as the wind, solar and water is much cheap compared to the exploitation of fossil fuel. Moreover, the cost required to establish the infrastructure for tapping energy from alternative sources is cheaper than that of establishing the infrastructure for the exploitation of fossil fuel. In this regard, the use alternative sources of energy will enhance savings and efficient use of energy. In this regard, sufficient money will be available for the development of the various technological sector. Essentially, availability of enough funds will facilitate comprehensive research on the field of alternative source of energy thereby promoting sufficient production of clean energy. Advantages of alternative sources Alternative sources of energy are inexhaustible and renewable. For this, the use of energy generated from alternative sources is unlimited. Apparently, the use of alternative sources of energy enhances maximisation of energy use and the improvement of industrial production as well. An improvement in the industrial production is likely to contribute positively to economic growth. Economic growth is basically associated with the development of various sectors. In essence, countries that use the alternative sources of energy are more developed technologically that the countries that solely depend on the fossils fuel. The depletion of fossil fuel in major exploitation areas has led to the rise of fuel prices in the world. The rise in oil prices in the world market has resulted in an increase in the general prices of products. It is imperative to note that over 80% of the world industries require some form of energy to produce. In this regard, a rise in the cost of fuel causes an increase in the production cost. Business reports have revealed that manufacturers spread the addition production cost to consumers by increasing the prices of products. Therefore, it can be observed the increased cost of living and lowered the living style for many people. In this regard, overreliance on fossil fuel should be substituted for the alternative source of energy such as solar, electricity and wind to enhance continued technology advancement (Sandall, 2011). . Disadvantages of alternative sources The alternative energy is unreliable since they depend on the weather. For instance, the solar energy cannot be tapped during the night. In addition, the wind power cannot be effective during calm weather. Moreover, alternative energy sources produce very little electricity compared to the fossils fuel. Why electric cars are not considered environmental pollutants The electric cars are not considered as environmental pollutants since there propulsion does not produce greenhouse gases (Sørensen, 2011). In addition, the cars operate at efficient speed and are fitted with batteries that facilitate energy storage for use when the sub=n sets. It is worth noting that alternative source of energy can be very useful in cutting down the cost employed in developing technologies for disposing of harmful gasses released by production plants. Research has shown that companies spend millions of dollars every year developing technologies that can aid in reducing the quantity of gases produced by fossils fuel in production sites. Essentially, alternative source can aid to eliminate the costs involved in developing such technologies since they produce little or no harmful gases to the air. There have been campaigns across the world to establish measures that can protect the destruction of ozone layer by the human activities. In this regard, use of non-fossils fuel is a perfect solution to the problem. Actually, electric cars are considered non-environmental pollutants because they play a significant role in protecting the ozone layer by not emitting greenhouse gases. Factors that hinder car manufacturers from making fuel efficient and alternative energy source cars There are various factors that may block car makers from manufacturing cars with efficient fuel use and that use alternative source of energy. Some of these factors include insufficient skills, high investment capital, political pressure, and the level of technology. Making of cars that use alternative sources of energy such as solar and electricity require outstanding skills. In this regard, shortage of intellectual capacity by workers in car making company might hinder making of cars with efficient fuels use and the alternative sources of energy. In addition, insufficient funds to develop cars that use alternative sources of energy might also making the undertaking impossible. Making of cars that use alternative energy sources requires heavy capital outlay. It is important to recognize that political unrest affects the business operations in a country. In this regard, political upheaval might halt the process of making fuel efficient cars since it is a process that requires ample time. Finally, the level of technology in a country or company has a significant influence on care making. Low level of technology may not offer the environment required for making cars that use alternative energy sources. In essence, making of cars that use alternative energy source and high efficient fuel consumption require a high level of technology. Events that may push car makers to change the energy source of cars There are certain events that may oblige car manufacturers to change the energy sources for their cars. For instance, unreliability of the energy source is likely to push the manufacturers to change it and go for a reliable one. Faiz, et al., (1996) argues that the environment policies within the area where the car manufacturers are located may force them to change the energy source. For instance, the environmental policies may limit the usage of fossils fuels and, therefore, force the company to use alternative energy sources. Conclusion Car making companies have realised the need to use alternative energy sources. As a result, massive investment has been made on the alternative energy sources by the car making companies. In essence, the use of alternative energy sources should be employed in the various industries to enhance sustainable development. In summary, there is a need to maximise the use of clean sources of energy to avoid the adverse consequences of the greenhouse effect. References: Craddock, D. (2008). Renewable energy made easy: Free energy from solar, wind, hydropower, and other alternative energy sources. Ocala, Fla: Atlantic Pub. Group. Faiz, A., et al. (1996). Air pollution from motor vehicles; standards and technologies for controlling emissions. Washington, D.C: The World Bank. Sandall, B. R. (2011). Using STEM to investigate issues in alternative energy. Greensboro, NC: Mark Twain media. Sørensen, B. (2011). Renewable energy: Physics, engineering, environmental impacts, economics & planning. Burlington, MA: Academic Press. Read More