Keeping It At Home: Alternative Fuels
Posted by Angie Tewis in Uncategorized, tags: alternative fuel, angie tewis, automotive, cars, fuel, gasoline, natural resources, oil, renewable energy, trucks, UncategorizedThe dependency on foreign oil is higher than it has ever been. With nearly all American families having two cars or more, our fuel consumption is at an all time high. And as we can probably all attest so is the cost of gasoline. It used to be that it only took forty or fifty dollars to fill up our tanks, now it costs upwards of sixty dollars.
It’s no surprise that so many people are downsizing their vehicles. Trading in guzzlers for eco-friendly models is en vogue as well as practical. People who drive trucks or SUV’s are second guessing those choices. Gasoline for larger vehicles like trucks and SUV’s costs nearly twice as much as it does to fill-up compact cars. Car dealerships across America are selling more compact and hybrid cars than any other vehicle.
With the cost of gasoline today and our dependency on foreign oil, the vehicle manufacturers are toiling hard to create and market cars that can either run on electricity or use much less gas. A prime example of this is Toyota’s Prius. The Prius gets up to 50 miles per gallon and is one of the most popular hybrid models because of that feature.
The economy is in the tank and gas is more expensive, waking up many Americans to the fact that they can no longer afford the $150 or more per month it takes for gasoline just to get around town in their cars. That $150 by the way is for one car. Considering that most American families own two or more automobiles, it is evident that cars are becoming a luxury even for families with above average incomes.
There are a lot of companies engaged in research to find viable alternative forms of energy. Auto manufacturers are constantly working to produce more cars that use electricity and those that can efficiently use gasoline made from corn. The furthest advancements in alternative energy sources for fuel have been made in the field of biofuels. Scientists and corporations are even experimenting with recycling frying oil from restaurants to create crude oils used as gasoline.
Our dependency on foreign oil has had a very negative effect on our country’s economy. There are many commuters who regularly travel an hour or more to and from work. In most areas, public transportation is not an option, so they must drive their own car at tremendous expense. This forces them to cut spending elsewhere. When a family cannot afford to pay its bills for basic subsistence like food and rent because the price of gas is so high, something is terribly wrong. This is why supporting alternative fuel research is so important to this country.
Many Americans have no choice in transportation to get to work or do essential errands but their own car. It would be great if we could all walk or bicycle to work and on errands or take public transportation, but this is simply not the reality. We must work to support ourselves and our families but it really grates on us to have to give a large percentage of that paycheck to oil companies in the Middle East. Given the choice of alternative fuels that cost less, our environment would be cleaner and our economy would improve. We must stand united behind those companies that are researching new forms of energy. It is possible with enough encouragement and backing, companies could discover a source of fuel that completely alters the way we think about getting around. When this happens, our money stays at home with us and we fuel our economy instead of someone else’s.
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