Putting a Cap on Oil

Six alternative fuels that finally make sense.

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• Environment

It's easy to forget about the environment these days. Focusing on using less oil can seem trivial next to fighting a global war on terrorism. But driving fuel-efficient cars and turning down the heat can do more than make the air a little cleaner. These acts can strengthen our national security. At $65 and up per barrel of oil, the United States is practically funding the very nations that pose the greatest threats to our safety. Imagine if we had other sources of energy to power our lives.

We do. Alternative fuels are here, and they could transform our power grid. The following are some options that electric and fuel companies are already using to generate energy. Visit SmartPower.org to see how your town can commit to clean energy now. After all, it's up to us to define the next chapter of world energy.

Wind. Increasingly, air's kinetic energy is being converted by wind turbines into electricity for homes and businesses. A turbine can cost anywhere from $250,000 to upward of $1 million, depending on its size. But a single turbine can produce enough electricity to power up to 300 homes. Since the wind doesn't blow all the time, however, communities and businesses still need to rely on local power companies as a backup. Check out the American Wind Energy Association's website: www.AWEA.org.

Solar. Forget about putting a mirror on your roof. Nowadays sophisticated solar-energy systems called photovoltaics produce electricity from the sun. Photovoltaics run $14,000 to $20,000, but these systems can substantially cut homeowners' electric bills, depending on sun exposure and electric rates. Excess energy can even be sold back to the electric company for more savings. However, solar energy often needs to be supplemented by another power source at night. You can learn more at Solar Today magazine: SolarToday.org.

Ethanol. Currently, ethanol is primarily made in this country from corn, and is competitively priced with the gasoline it replaces. A 10% ethanol/ 90% unleaded gasoline combination known as E10 is used in roughly one-third of all gas pumped in the United States; you might have some in your car right now. Plus, "flexible fuel" vehicles (FFVs) are on the market; they're designed to run on an 85% ethanol/15% unleaded gasoline mix called E85, and can use just gasoline when E85 isn't available. For now, though, ethanol production requires a great deal of energy, so its efficiency is debatable. Check out E85Fuel.com.

Biodiesel. Made from crops like soybeans, biodiesel is a nontoxic fuel that can be mixed with petroleum diesel or used alone to dramatically reduce emissions. Diesel engines can run on biodiesel right now, with little or no modification to the engine or fuel system. And biodiesel is competitively priced with regular diesel -- though it, too, depends on energy to be produced. Go to Biodiesel.org for more.

Nuclear. When uranium, a metal found in rocks, is processed in a nuclear reactor, thermal energy is created. This energy introduces no greenhouse-gas emissions into the air or water, and is affordable. Currently, nuclear power provides 20% of the country's electricity, but the infrastructure is already in place to provide sustainable energy on a more massive scale. Once uranium has been processed for energy, however, it's considered "spent fuel" -- or radioactive nuclear waste -- and its storage and disposal pose serious safety concerns. For more, go to the World Nuclear Association: World-Nuclear.org.

Hydrogen. How can you generate power without emitting anything but clean water? Hydrogen fuel cells. Unfortunately, separating pure hydrogen from other compounds, like hydrocarbons or water, means using an alternate energy source. Storing hydrogen is also difficult; its density is so low that it's tough to put a lot of hydrogen into a small space. That's one reason why -- though most auto companies have a hydrogen program -- hydrogen cars and fueling stations are hard to find. Nevertheless, hydrogen fuel-cell stacks are available in some markets to power homes and businesses. And many areas are rapidly progressing: California has a "Hydrogen Highway" plan, and several states have initiatives to ramp up hydrogen infrastructure. Visit HydrogenForecast.com.

For more about RD's fuel-saving program, go to rd.com/saveagallon.

From Reader's Digest - April 2006

 

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• 

The son of a friend graduated from high school, so I sent a card to congratulate him. I enclosed money and scribbled some words of wisdom inside. He sent me a note back saying, "Thank you for the gift. Also thank you for the advice. My mom always told me that you are full of it."

-- Jeanette Larson

“ There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before. ”

— Robert Lynd

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