Sustainability of Biofuels and Hybrid Transportation Technologies - Assignment Example

? Automotive Need for Gas vs. Hybrid vs. Corn Automotive Need for Gas vs. Hybrid vs. Corn Module Definition of the Problem The problem to be addressed in this essay is the challenges facing the application of the biofuel and hybrid technology. The United States of America among other nations has for years invested in the search for alternative sources of fuel to power the nation especially in the transportation. Notably, the dependency on the foreign source of fuel has posed a dire challenge to political elites and gas prices (C. D. Anderson & J. Anderson, 2010). Moreover, the use of fossil fuels has increased environmental dangers, thereby fueling global warming. Burning gallons of fossil fuels are increasing the amount of the greenhouse gases, thereby accelerating the global warming. Additionally, the greenhouse gases have subjected humanity to ill health and diverse environmental conditions that have affected the world’s economy. Numerous challenges have been brought about by fossil fuel; therefore, scientists have been searching for an alternative environmental friendly source of energy. Some scientists have suggested the use of hydrogen gas an alternative source of fuel. However, the doubt in the safety of hydrogen gas has slowed down its exploitation and subsequent use as an alternative source of fuel. Additionally, others have suggested the exploitation and use of the natural sources of energy including sunlight and wind. The exploitation of these natural sources of energy may not be quite reliable due to the inconveniences and unreliable biodiversity and ecosystem. Nonetheless, the scientists in the renewable energy industries across the United States have settled in the use of hybrid biofuel (ethanol) and technology as the alternative to deal with the fossil fuels. Therefore, the scientists have arrived at the use of bountiful corn as a source of fuel for the hybrid transportation technologies. In United States, corn is used to produce ethanol, which is an alcohol. There are numerous ways of making the fuel grade ethanol. The most common process follows the dry mill method where the corn is grinded into powder and mixed with water in the presence of enzyme (Dalton, Hoyle, & Watts, 2011). The mixture is heated at high temperatures after which it is liquefied. The enzyme helps in breaking down grain compounds. The mixture is then taken under a subsequent liquefaction process. The liquid mash is poised, and other enzyme that converts starch in the mixture into sugar is added. The additional enzyme helps in fermenting the compound into alcohol. At this stage, yeast is often added to start up the fermentation process where sugars are broken down into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Ethanol is then extracted from the products mixture. The obtained ethanol gas is often mixed with a small quantity of gasoline to make the biofuel, ethanol undrinkable. Module 2: The History of Early Solutions The effects of the fossil fuels have led to numerous problems including global warming and affecting numerous vehicle parts. These problems marked the first intents of scientists to search for alternative fuels that would reduce the production of the greenhouse gases into the Earth’s atmosphere (C. D. Anderson & J. Anderson, 2010). The first countries to initiate the use of ethanol fuel were Brazil and United States. From these countries, the production and use of both biofuel and hybrid technologies did spread to other nations and continents. In the United States, the United States Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) are the organizations that are partly funding the production of ethanol from corn and other hybrid technologies. Since the introduction of the ethanol gas or fuel, numerous economic sectors and the environment factors have registered some positive impacts. Notably, the use of the gas dramatically reduced the dependency of America on imported fuel. Moreover, the ethanol fuel consumers have undoubtedly benefited from reduced prices of fuel since the federal government had introduced tax incentive towards reducing the cost of biofuel products and cars or hybrid technologies. The biofuels including ethanol have few fuel additives and have a high-octane number; thus, they burn more effectively and efficiently than the fossil fuels. Therefore, the ethanol fuel burns clean without producing gases that are known for polluting the atmosphere and causing global warming. This degree of combustion reduces the emission of greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide (Fitzgerald-Hayes & Reichsman, 2010). According to the national laboratory reports, the efficiency of combustions of these fuels has substantially been beneficial for global temperature. Statistically, approximately ten million tons of greenhouse gases were reduced in 2007. Addition of ethanol fuel in the gasoline or any fuel mixture containing ethanol often reduces the amount of gasoline consumed by cars. However, cars using biofuel also tend to have less power compared to those using fossil fuel. The efficiency in combustion of ethanol also reduces harmful nature of gases into the water and global visibility due to the reduced formation of smog. Despite the numerous advantages of the ethanol fuel, it also has its weaknesses. Notably, if the ethanol is used alone, it has less energy as compared to other gasoline. Ethanol fuel is generated from the crops/corn. These sources are likely to reduce food for either humanity or livestock depending on the crop that is overexploited (Droege, 2008). Regardless of the expert’s agreement on dangers of these food supplies, there is the bond of contention on the degree of interference of ethanol generation on the food supply. According to David Pimentel, a Cornel University Professor, production of ethanol will automatically lead to net energy loss. Furthermore, through his processing and production of corn calculations, one gallon of ethanol will require 131,000 BTUs of energy (Dalton, Hoyle, & Watts, 2011). Surprisingly, the same amount of ethanol contains only 77,000 BTUs. Therefore, renewable energy industries are burning large amounts of gasoline through fuel powered equipment and transportation to produce an alternative fuel. Conclusively, it may be senseless or meaningless to use more energy to produce a fuel that would only produce less energy (Fitzgerald-Hayes & Reichsman, 2010). In some cases, the hybrid technology can also use a mixture of electricity and gasoline in a single vehicle. In some cases, the use of hybrid biofuel strictly requires a hybrid technology. Notably, vehicles, aircrafts, and trains often use gasoline for their high-energy activities including acceleration and for kicking electric batteries (Zastrow, 2010). However, when these machines are cruising, not much energy is often in use, but the battery charges while the car or the locomotive is in use, thereby eliminating the need of plugging in like in the case of hybrid locomotives such as electric cars. However, using some biofuels makes utilization of hybrid cars similar to other gasoline car. Module 3 The diverse effects of fossil fuel on the environment were among the main factors that facilitated the search of biofuel and hybrid transportation technology. Moreover, this phenomenon has been a threat to the future generations since it accelerates the global temperature. The increased use of fossil fuel increased the release of greenhouse gases that increase the global temperature or the global warming. Additionally, accumulation of greenhouse gases has raised food and health insecurity (Dalton, Hoyle, & Watts, 2011). Therefore, increased use of fossil fuel would further worsen these situations, and this is what called for the search of alternative fuel. Additionally, nations such as the United States never wanted to over-depend on the foreign energy supply; thus, the invention of alternative fuel that could be produced locally was to elevate energy security in such nations (Droege, 2008). The local production of biofuel could also moderate the oil prices – an effect that could positively influence food prices, thereby reducing poverty in such nations. In addition, sustainable production of biofuel was to reduce deforestation and soil erosion, thereby preserving the diversity and maintaining a balance within the ecosystem as well maintaining water sources (Fitzgerald-Hayes & Reichsman, 2010). Other reasons that led to the investment in the production of ethanol fuel were the intended use of the ethanol fuel for train, hybrid cars, and rocket fuel. In fact, in 2010 a small amount of ethanol was successfully used in lightweight rocket-racing aircraft. Regardless of these achievements, the consumers have not received the use of biofuels and other hybrid technologies overwhelmingly (C. D. Anderson and J. Anderson, 2010). Finally, the use of biofuel tends to be quite expensive since the consumers have hybrid technologies or need to upgrade their locomotives to use biofuel. Such upgrading of one’s technology is quite expensive especially when overhaul changes that would replace the old cars with hybrid technology cars will be required. Module 4 The hybrid biofuels are extremely affordable especially when produced within the country of consumption. Moreover, adopting the use of hybrid technology is even cheaper when an old model of the locomotive uses a hybrid biofuel without any alteration of the parts of the old machine (Dalton, Hoyle, & Watts, 2011). In some cases, for instance, if one uses a diesel car, he or she must not buy a new biodiesel car to use the hybrid biodiesel fuel; however, some minor changes must be done to the car to conform and effectively use biodiesel fuel (Droege, 2008). Notably, new pumps shall be made available to reduce the fill-up prices; hence transition to hybrid technology will be cheaper than the fossil fuels. Despite the promises in the reduction of the low switching prices into the new technology, some scientists still hold that the new fossil fuels transportation technologies including cars are more efficient and effective than hybrid cars. The slow adoptability of these new or hybrid technologies and fuels are due to lack of political and social free will as well as the global economic recession. Module 5 The development of biofuels and hybrid technologies has been quite a boost in the renewable energy. For instance, the ethanol fuel often burns clean unlike fossil fuels, thereby having minimum effects on the climatic changes. Moreover, the ethanol can be made from organic wastes that could have been regarded as environmental pollutants (Dalton, Hoyle, & Watts, 2011). Alternatively, the hybrid technology makes the fossil fuel or gasoline efficient since it lowers the amount of fuel need for equal activity or energy production (Fitzgerald-Hayes & Reichsman, 2010). This situation reduces the amount of greenhouse gases, especially the carbon dioxide that could have been added into the atmosphere; however, the entire process does not recycle wastes. Regarding the use of the new technology, there has been scientific controversy on the amount of the energy required to produce car battery energy (Droege, 2008). The renewable nature of biofuel is a promising factor in the security of biofuel. Moreover, it is sustainable since it is readily made form organic substances including organic wastes. Some international agencies have expressed their concern on sustainability and the future impact of biofuels (C. D. Anderson and J. Anderson, 2010). For example, they have noted that ethanol fuel will play a significant role in the future energy due to its cellulosic nature. Additionally, advance research works are still under way to make biofuel effective in its use in numerous locomotives including trains and planes (Thompson, 2008). Therefore, the world will, in future, depend primarily on biofuel and hybrid technologies. Conclusion In conclusion, production and use of biofuel and hybrid technology have proved to be the sure ways of reducing greenhouse emission into the Earth’s atmosphere. Therefore, nations should have political, economic, and social will to encourage the production and sustainability of biofuels and hybrid transportation technologies. Moreover, the biofuel will be cheap and sustainable; thus, nations can be sure to produce their own sources of bioenergy to reduce dependency on other nations as regards the fossil fuel energy supply. The use of biofuel will increase food security and reduce numerous calamities since prolonged use of these hybrid technologies and biofuels will significantly rectify the biodiversity and ecosystem. However, it could be sometimes pointless to use more energy to produce an alternative energy as it is in the case of producing biofuel from fossil fuel. Nonetheless, if the overall advantages overweigh its disadvantages, then processes of producing more hybrid biofuels and transportation technologies should be developed towards conserving and sustaining the biodiversity and ecosystem. References Anderson, C. D., & Anderson, J. (2010). Electric and hybrid cars: A history. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. Dalton, M., Hoyle, D. G., & Watts, M. W. (2011). Human relations. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Droege, P. (2008). Urban energy transition: From fossil fuels to renewable power. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Fitzgerald-Hayes, M., & Reichsman, F. (2010). DNA and biotechnology. Burlington, MA: Academic Press/Elsevier. Thompson, L. (2008). Pop the hood: Have you got what it takes to be an auto technician? Minneapolis, Minn.: Compass Point Books. Zastrow, C. (2010). Introduction to social work and social welfare: Empowering people. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Read More