BioFuels, The Answer to High Fuel Prices

Biofuels, simply put, are fuels that are derived from agricultural products. Biofuels are a renewable source of energy that can be used in many applications, from fueling your vehicle, to generating electricity and heating your home.Recently, biofuels have been attracting attention from various sectors. Biofuels are considered to be 'carbon-neutral', which simply means that the amount of carbon dioxide which is created when burned, is equal to the amount of carbon dioxide used during growing. It is hoped to be a 'green' alternative to petroleum, which has generated a lot of interest from investors and different countries around the World.

Types of BioFuels
Ethanol
Ethanol is a fuel derived largely from corn and sugar cane, although it can also be made from other sources of sugar as well.
Currently, ethanol is largely used as an additive to Gasoline, which could cut are dependence on foreign oil, and has the potential to replace gasoline altogether.Ethanol can also be 'home-brewed' and there are many products available online to assist an individual in that dream of brewing their own gas.

Ethanol, does however face some hurdles before it becomes a true replacement for Oil. Considerations such as food supply should take precedence, as much of the stock that is used is derived from food sources. With expected production to e in the billions of gallons, we must take care not to create more problems in the future than solve them. Ethanol can be made from plant sources without starving people, but this will take research and commitment on the part of Government and Industry officials

BioDiesel
Bio diesel is a term used to describe various types of esters derived from vegetable oils. The most common is rape seed oil, however other oils can e used. Some examples are waste vegetable oil from a fryer, soybean oil, sunflower oil and palm oil. Bio diesel is usually made from either the methyl ester or ethyl ester of the base oil.

Bio Diesel use around the World varies. In Brazil, a country already with a huge lead, recently opened a bio diesel refinery, further lessening it's dependence on Oil. In the U.S., Bio Diesel is becoming an attractive alternative due to rising Gas prices. Bio Diesel's biggest impact would be in the transportation sector, but it can also be applied to any machine that uses Diesel.

AlgaeOil
Another source, and quite amazing source, for Bio Fuels, is Algae. Algae Oil can be grown in any water source and can be a great source of base materials for both Ethanol and Bio Diesel production. Algae production in the U.S. is practically non-existent. Algae has a great potential as a source of raw material. The problems concerning food supply associated with producing Ethanol doesn't matter for Algae. Investment in this source should be perused as the pay-off will be immense.

We are now facing a Global Fuel crisis. Rising fuel prices have the potential to impact global society and security in a very negative way. We must now seek an interim solution to this potentially devastating problem until Hydrogen is perfected as a source of energy. Failure to do this could doom future generations to hardship and misery. The time is now to act.

How Biofuels Are Moving Into Top Status As An Alternative Fuel Source

Biofuels are made by taking matter and making it into fuel. I recently was watching dirty jobs on the discovery channel and saw an Isuzu pick up truck running on bio diesel. Now I thought to myself how in the world and what is bio diesel. Bio diesel is the oil from fryers like a restaurants deep fryer. The makers will take gallons of used vegetable oil and peanut oil basically any fryers oil and use them to make bio diesel. It is a long process but it only cost about 55 cents a gallon and gets about 40 mpg depending on the vehicle. I can't exactly remember how it was made but there was a chemical reaction with the methanol that made all the sludge stick to the bottom of the gallon and after that you have bio diesel.

Even though the government still has a long way to go to get these alternative fuels many Americans have already learned the chemistry to producing these fuels. A recent study by a Pacific Northwest university said that they cannot find a way to make the fuel as good as gas made from oil. Gas will only go so far but the bio diesel will go a long way because it is cheap to make and isn't hard to convert motors to run on them they just have to already be a diesel motor.

Biofuels are made by using matter from the environment to make a usable fuel to burn. These biofuels better to use then the fossil fuels that we burn every day. The bio fuels need to be able to use in cars or vehicles because that is where most of out fossil fuels go to. They need to make a way or fuel that can run in any car and can make it at a very cheap rate.

Even though it has a long way to go till everyone is using these there are still a few people in the United States who have these bio fuel labs in the garages at home. The study done up north by a university still cannot find out why they can't make a small amount of bio fuel and that is because you don't have the right properties. You are probably trying to use something with no significant bio value at all.

Even though the oil has been though in the stock exchange does not mean that we Americans cannot make something that can be used as an every day alternative, dropping all the oils prices are not going to do it because then people will continue to use them. The people just need to take the matter into their own hands and make something that can be used every day as a fossil fuel alternative. It isn't hard people are already using bio diesel every day. Nothing stopping them from making their own. The government knows how to make these fuels they just don't want to because they want to keep stealing all our money even though they are the ones printing the money.

Halt Global Warming by Stopping Fossil Fuel Combustion

After years of warning the world about global warming and its dire consequences, Al Gore, the Nobel Prize winner, has finally taken the next, logical step. He is proposing a solution.

Mr. Gore has realized that conservation measures and "Cap and Trade" measures do not work. The world can be saved only, if we completely eliminate all carbon dioxide emissions during the next forty years.

Converting the electric power generating sector first, does make the most sense. All major technologies for generating electric power from renewable energy sources are in various stages of development. Installations using wind power, solar energy, geothermal heat, and marine power have been started up and are slowly gaining a measurable foothold.

At present, coal fired power plants generate the least expensive electricity. Therefore, market forces will never lead to the shutdown of the most egregious greenhouse gas emitters. Only legislative action can prevent the construction of any new, coal fired power plants.

We must also be aware that it will be very difficult to satisfy our growing electricity demand by building only windmill farms, solar plantations, and geothermal power plants. For many years to come, there will not be enough manufacturing capacity to build an adequate number of electric power plants using renewable energies. Initially, the capital costs of these plants will be high, risks for meeting rated output will be well above average, and elevated maintenance costs will be a common experience.

We also need to address a few unresolved technical issues. The most pressing one is the fact that both wind power and solar power can supply energy only on an interruptible basis. Electric power is a fleeting commodity and we have not yet developed technologies that are capable of storing large amounts of electric energy.

It seems unavoidable that nuclear power generation must assume a more substantial role during the next decades. Nuclear power has become safer and public resistance to nuclear power plants is slowly receding. Nuclear power plants can be installed faster once we begin to rely more on standardized reactor designs.

Nuclear reactors with smaller capacities need to be built as replacements for coal fired plant boilers. Huge amounts of capital and much time can be saved if existing coal plants can be retrofitted with steam produced in nuclear reactors to replace coal fired boilers. Steam turbines, generators, substations, administrative buildings, and cooling towers can continue their operation with only minor performance reductions.

This new type of reactor must be designed to be absolutely safe by installing both passive and redundant safety systems. Retrofit reactors should become available in a very few, standardized designs and in sizes that fit up with the predominant sizes of coal fired boilers in use.

While the US will be replacing, retrofitting, or shutting down its fossil fuel fired plants, it is an opportune time to prepare the US to regain its independence from foreign oil imports.

Very soon, such activity can save the US more than one trillion dollars annually. Past experience shows that petroleum prices and consumption of transportation fuels will maintain their unstoppable growths.

Ideally, the world will continue using its fleets of cars, trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes. Ideally, the world will keep its oil refineries operating and will preserve the huge distribution systems that deliver high quality liquid fuels to all corners of the world. Replacement of transportation fleets, oil refineries, and liquid fuel distribution systems will cost too much and may break the economies of even the richest countries.

We must realize that the world cannot live for more than a few weeks without transportation of foods, goods, and commodities. Famines, riots, and economic upheavals will become unavoidable consequences of the lack of plentiful and affordable transportation fuels.

To protect against such looming, economic disasters, the US must take the lead and learn how to produce petroleum substitutes from biomass. Recent events have taught us that we must never again abuse arable lands to make ethanol or diesel from food crops.

Instead, we must find plant species with very high energy contents and must grow these plants on arid and infertile lands. By using desalinated water and novel industrial farming techniques one can grow enough biomass to supply the entire world with transportation fuels for several centuries. Arid lands are abundant. Best of all, making petroleum substitutes from renewable biomass sources will not have to cost more than $50 per barrel.

Building plants for the domestic production of electric power and of transportation fuels from renewable energies will make the US strategically more secure, will make us economically stronger, will reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by one quarter, will create a huge number of jobs, and will pay for itself by producing large, domestic revenues for many decades to come.

The US must lead the world by example. No other country has the capabilities and the resources to rebuild its energy supply systems.

Algae Biodiesel the Fuel of the Future

Most American consumers have been hit hard by soaring gas prices, and many people from individuals to research firms are searching for an alternative fuel source that is renewable, economical, and environmentally friendly.

Biodiesel made from crops such as corn and soybeans is one such alternative that most people are aware of, but another option, algae biodiesel, is one of the newest and most promising fuel sources to date. One thing is for sure, if a solution to the ever increasing gas prices is not found soon millions of people will be unable to afford their daily commute.

Many people have put their hopes in biodiesel made from crops as the solution to oil dependency. However, there are problems with biodiesel made from crops namely the displacement of food and the amount of crops it takes to produce a gallon of oil. Using food crops such as soybeans and corn to produce oil takes away from the amount crops that could have been used for food.

Using food crops to make biodiesel is also not very economical, it takes an acre of soybeans to produce about 50 gallons of biodiesel and an acre of corn to produce only about 20 gallons of biodiesel. Compared to the 5,000 or more gallons of biodieseal produced from one acre of algae, food crops are underperforming.

The fuel consumption for cars, trucks, and other transportation in the US accounts for almost 70% of total oil consumption. While this is a huge chunk of our oil needs, it would take only about 15,000 square miles of algae farms to produce enough biodiesel to meet our transportation needs.

That would be one algae farm that measured 120 miles by 125 miles or 50 algae farms that were only 300 square miles each. With the space requirements feasible, algae bio diesel just may be the fuel of the future as it is economical, renewable, and will not displace food crops.

Making biodiesel from algae is a complicated process, but it is not harder than making it from other sources such as crops or waste oil and it is even possible for consumers to make their own algae biodiesel at home. In fact, making biodiesel from algae is actually easier than from other sources such as waste oil because it does not require the level of filtering or titrating. It is possible that once consumers learn how to make algae bio diesel for themselves that they can in fact become responsible for their own energy needs and stop depending on large energy companies.

This fact has the potential to lower energy prices simply because the big energy companies would not be the only place to get gasoline and heating oil. It is becoming more and more common for individuals to make their own fuel form waste oil but as it become harder to get waste oil form commercial sources many more people will begin to turn to algae as the fuel source of choice.

Although algae biodiesel has been touted as the fuel of the future by many, one thing is for sure, if we do not find alternatives to cut our dependence on gasoline and crude oil, we will continue to struggle as gas prices rise

Hydrogen Fuel Cars - Do They Exist?

Did you know that hydrogen fuel cars are already on the streets of many first world countries? General Motors and Ford already launched hydrogen fuel cars and currently, BMW has created a series of the same type of vehicle. General Motors already have thirteen hydrogen fuel cars roaming the streets of Washington, including 6 minivans.

Ford is still in the process of manufacturing 'Focus'. Other car manufacturers namely Honda, Toyota, DaimlerChrysler, and Nissan already have vehicles in the Army and even with the public.

With the launching of hydrogen fuel cars, many car owners no longer have to worry about gas mileage. If you want to save money now, yet you can't afford the hydrogen fuel cars, have your existing car converted. Of course, it can cost a little but the benefits are priceless.

By 2010, General Motors will launch alternative hydrogen fuel cars. Although the cars use alternative hydrogen fuel, the price is just like that of internal combustion vehicles. GM and Shell are now partners; the latter has created stations for hydrogen fuel to meet the demand for the alternative fuel. The two giant companies projected that for every 200,000 hydrogen fuel cars, 300 stations are needed.

If you walk the streets of Europe, you will hardly notice that there are some hydrogen fuel buses roaming their streets. DaimlerChrysler introduced the said buses in 2004. You can find the buses in Barcelona, Amsterdam, London, Hamburg, Madrid, Luxemburg, Reykjavik, Porto, Stuttgart, and Stockholm. The buses function well regardless of the weather.

In fact, the buses provide excellent transportation during hot summers and cold winters; as well as in the hilly regions and flatlands. You can find hydrogen stations in the 7 major cities of Europe and each station is equipped with the necessary equipments like the electrolysis tools. Water is used to create the fuel for the stations.

An ethanol fuel car can also use hydrogen fuel cells. Ethanol has water and this is where the hydrogen is derived. If you use this alternative, you can improve gas mileage and at the same time supply the cells with the needed hydrogen. This type of vehicle is called water power car or hybrid car and it can run using ethanol or hydrogen.

If you want a clean and abundant energy source, choose hydrogen fuel cars. As long as you have a water source, you can use it to power your hydrogen car. At present, the fuel cells are quite large but developers are now trying to make it more efficient and more reliable. Just imagine the very first computers which were large but after several years, small versions were soon invented and launched. It will not be shocking if hydrogen fuel technology will rapidly develop.

One thing's for sure, hydrogen fuel cars do exist. Some people are still unaware of this fact but in the coming years, these cars will dominate the streets. Here's good news to everyone, if you want to address the global warming problem, have your cars converted if it is feasible.

Check your locality if you can find a hydrogen station. This is a very important decision that you have to make, so be sure that you will have no regrets. So far, users of hydrogen fuel cars do not have any regrets and with the advanced technology of today, improvements are on their way. So look out for the cars of the future.