Enhancing Occupational Safety and Environmental Health while Adapting to Alternative Fuels - Essay Example

Their mass level production can solve this problem. Since 1999 the United States government has been working to promote the alternative fuel program and understands that governmental intervention can fill the gaps between production cost and consumption of alternate fuels. Brief introduction of these fuels is, Biomass, Geothermal, Hydro power, solar power, Tidal power, Wave power and Wind power. The purpose of this project is to clarify the positive affects of alternative fuel program. With the usage of different forms of alternative fuels, there will be less of a demand on renewable resources.

Most importantly, the dependence on fossil fuels imported fro OPEC. While quantifying the consumption of fossil fuels from around the world, Demirbas (2008) found that "countries in the Middle East to include the Russian Federation hold 70% of the worlds dwindling reserves of oil and gas" (p.3). Therefore, project will demonstrate that with the implementation of alternative fuel programs, it will result in safer working conditions for employees and a significant reduction of environmental degradation.

Bio-fuel may be defined as a solid, liquid or gaseous fuel that is derived from relatively freshly dead biological materials and can be distinguished from fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material. Theoretically, bio-fuels are produced from any (bi. ned as a solid, liquid or gaseous fuel that is derived from relatively freshly dead biological materials and can be distinguished from fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material. Theoretically, bio-fuels are produced from any (biological) carbon source albeit; the most common sources may be the plants.

Various plants and plant-derived materials may be used for the production of bio-fuel. Globally, biomass fuels are being most commonly used for the purpose of cooking and heating of homes and larger facilities. In European countries, more than 25% of heating is done with bio-fuels, including wood pellets, wood and chips. In Sweden, over 35% of all facilities are heated with biomass fuels which are incinerated in central biomass boilers at over 90% efficiency. Bio-fuels can also be used to generate steam and create electricity, and converted into a liquid or gas for use in motor vehicles.

The process of conversion of biomass into electricity or into a liquid or gaseous form generally requires electricity that is mostly produced with coal. The efficiency of biomass to produce electricity, liquid bio-fuels, and gaseous bio-fuels consumes only 25-35% of the energy content of the originally biomass feedstock. This project is aimed at looking at all these aspects from occupational safety and ecological point of view. Topic and Brief Literature Review The topic of this Capstone research paper will be Enhancing Occupational Safety and Environmental Health while adapting to Alternative fuels.

Below is an abbreviated list of sources that have been reviewed.1- Pahl G. (January 2007). , in his book titled, "The Citizen-Powered Energy handbook. Community Solutions to a Global Crisis"