Costs And Barriers To Successful Alternative Fuel Production
The facts are not in dispute. The world needs an alternative fuel source. It is unrealistic to think that industrialized countries will halt manufacturing though. Therefore, the alternative is developing cheaper ways to produce other fuels.
Energy can be produced from practically any organic matter. Composting produces heat and fermentation produces alcohol. Experts tell us that the production has to outweigh the consumption for anything to be a viable replacement. Corn and switch grass can be converted to ethanol, which can virtually be used in any combustible engine.
Essentially, at this point, this is trading one problem for another. Energy is required to grow, harvest and convert organic matter into ethanol. In other words, corn and grass cannot contribute to its own conversion process. Ethanol by some estimates requires more energy to produce than it is cable of delivering. The process takes energy in the form of electricity and petroleum based fuels.
Additional problems plague growing a fuel source. Land is a fixed quantity, and it cannot be produced. Everyday more land is being converted into asphalt and concrete parking lots. Many countries are a victim of their own success. Success has created less land, and a higher demand for more land, to grow fuel crops.
Bio fuels can be produced from used cooking oil and other various materials. The current quantity of used cooking oil is nowhere near enough to be called an alternative. Additionally the process is complicated and costly.
It would not be hard to fathom an alternative fuel source. The problem is when one is decided upon; it immediately would be in short supply with a high demand. The increase in production would cause more energy to be spent trying to meet demand.
Therefore, for any fuel to be called a viable alternative it must be produced in enough quantities that would allow it to be used in its own conversion process. The fuel must be affordable, and usable. Having to rebuild manufacturing and vehicles around a fuel source would be an economic disaster. The source must be developed around the energy consumers.