Alternative Fuel

The definition of Alternative Fuel varies according to the context of its usage. In the context of petroleum substitutes, the term 'alternative fuel' can imply any available fuel or energy source, and does not necessarily refer to a source of renewable energy. In the context of environmental sustainability, 'alternative fuel' often implies an ecologically benign renewable fuel.

Alternative Fuels, also known as non-conventional fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as a fuel, other than conventional fuels. Conventional fuels include: fossil fuels (petroleum (oil), coal, propane, and natural gas), and also in some instances nuclear materials such as uranium. Some well known alternative fuels include biodiesel, ethanol, butanol, chemically stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, methane, natural gas, vegetable oil, biomass, and peanut oil.

Background

The main purpose of fuel is to store energy in a form that is stable and can be easily transported from the place of production to the end user which helps in many ways such as transportation. Almost all fuels are chemical fuels, that store chemical potential energy. The end user is then able to consume the fuel at will, and release energy, usually in the form of heat for a variety of applications, such as powering an engine, or heating a building, such as a home.

Demand for Alternative Fuels

In the year 2000, there were about eight million vehicles around the world that ran on alternative fuels, indicating an increasing popularity of alternative fuels. There is growing social interest, and a perceived economic and political need for the development of alternative fuel sources. This is due to general environmental, economic, and geopolitical concerns of sustainability.
The major environmental concern, according to an IPCC report, is that "Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations". Since burning fossil fuels are known to increase greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, they are a likely contributor to global warming.
Another concern is the peak oil theory, which predicts a rising cost of oil derived fuels caused by severe shortages of oil during an era of growing energy consumption. According to the 'peak oil' theory, the demand for oil will exceed supply and this gap will continue to grow, which could cause a growing energy crisis starting between 2010 and 2020. Lastly, the majority of the known petroleum reserves are located in the middle east. There is general concern that worldwide fuel shortages could intensify the unrest that exists in the region, leading to further conflict and war.
The production of alternative fuels can have widespread effects. For example, the production of corn-based ethanol has created an increased demand for the feed stock, causing rising prices in almost everything made from corn. However, in a competitive free market, an increased supply of ethanol reduces the demand for conventional fuels, and thus lowers fuel prices. The ethanol industry enables agricultural surpluses to be used to mitigate fuel shortages.

Perguntas:

1- O que são combustíveis alternativos?


2- Dê exemplos de combustíveis alternativos?


3- De acordo com o texto qual o propósito principal do combustível alternativo?


4- Quais combustíveis colaboram para o aquecimento global?


5- O uso do milho como fonte para o etanol pode ter efeitos difundidos?


Vocabulário:

source: fonte
environmental: ambiental
chemically: quimicamente
growing: crescimento
middle east: leste médio
demand: demanda
worldwide: universal, mundial
shortages: faltas
free market: mercado livre
surpluses: excessos

Componentes do Grupo:

Felipe dos Santos nº 8
Ismael Fernandes Rojas nº 14
Lucas Silva dos Santos nº 28
Stefany Balbás Ferreira nº 37

3ºD