Vitali.Nadell.Spring2009.MMA.EnergyandWater

Gasoline 1. What is the problem at hand? 2. What is the driving force of the problem? 3. What are poeple currently doing or not doing to solve the problem? 4. Pick your favorite of the following list 5. **Explain how it works. THIS IS A BIG ONE!** 6. determine the amount of CO2 it produces or inhibits (THIS REQUIRES A STOICHIOMETRY EQUATION!) 7. determine the amount of water it can generate or purify 8. highlight the best aspects of it 9. describe how the critics would discuss it 10. If it already makes up a lot of the world's fuel/energy supply explailn why. 11. If it doesn't make up much of the world's fuel/energy supply explain why. 12. Try to include a lot of pictures. 13. YOU MUST include quotes from scientists or policy makers. 14. Explain how it could help solve some of the problems or contributes to those problems. 15. Explalin what it would take to do your thing better or in a larger scale. 16. Explain who uses that technology and why. If it isn't used very much explain that instead. 17. After learning about it what would you do next to change how its used? why?

**Gasoline** The problem at hand involving gasoline and energy consumption is the rate at which it is being consumed. Crude oil has become the most important trade good in the world due to the consumption of petroleum distillates. Gasoline makes up 40% refinery products and this still is not enough. Refineries are running at maximum capacity, both day and night in order to try and meet demand but still are falling short. Years ago, those same plants were running at below maximum capacity, so they could stop and take shorter repair breaks and keep the plant running for longer. Now a days with refineries running at maximum capacity there is little to no time to shut down and do repairs, so when something does break, it takes much longer to repair and is more costly. Gas as well as being costly to produce is also costly for the environment. The main problem with burning gasoline is what is produced. Gas, when burned produces Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Water along with other gaseous compounds. The thousands of tons of hydrocarbons and carbons released into the atmosphere on a regular basis is a great cause for concern. In the world of today, greenhouse gases and global warming are constantly on peoples mind. With everyone thinking of what is happening to the planet, people have begun looking for new sources of energy to replace gasoline and other oil byproducts. The driving force behind the high consumption of gasoline is the millions of cars on the roads in the U.S among other industrialized nations that are inefficient. The engines, despite the technology to produce more efficient models, are not where they should be in terms of miles per gallon. Also, almost all cars on the road right now were not produced with this goal of fuel efficiency in mind. They were produced during different time where efficiency was not as big of an issue. To try and solve this people have started to become more conscious of only driving when needed, conserving fuel by carpooling, buying more fuel efficient cars, switched to bikes, and are looking more towards more efficient and renewable sources of energy that do not have the same harmful products of fossil fuels. People are looking into methods of energy such as solar, water, wind, and hydrogen power. President Obama has even proposed a new standard for fuel efficiency and emissions. The rules, which will begin to take effect in 2012, will put in place a federal standard for [|fuel efficiency]  that is as tough as the California program, while imposing the first-ever limits on climate-altering gases from cars and trucks. The effect will be a single new national standard that will create a car and light truck fleet in the United States that is almost 40 percent cleaner and more fuel-efficient by 2016 than it is today, with an average of 35.5 miles per gallon. The new national fleet mileage rule for cars and light trucks of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 roughly corresponds to the California requirement, which will be shelved as a result. The current national standard is slightly more than 25 miles per gallon. []

This new standard is only a start to fixing the current problem but it is a large step in the right direction. If under this new plan we can limit the emissions while more environmentally friendly and efficient sources of energy are being perfected we would have a better chance later on to correct what we have done in the past. There have also been, and still are awareness campaigns done by celebrities such as Willie Nelson and his bio-fuel tour bus, Al Gore and An Inconvenient Truth, a film on the truths and lies of global warming, among others to try and affect change within the US and the world. 

Gas: An average composition and chemical formula 2C8H18 + 25O2 18H2O + 15CO2 +CO +NOX Produces 2.89473g CO2 for every 1g C8H18 1g C8H18 1mol/114g *15CO2/2C8H18 *44g/ 1mol=g CO2 Produces 1.421052g H2O 1g C8H18 1mol/114g*18H2O/2C8H18 *18g/ 1mol=g H2O

There was a need for improvement in the refining process for fuels that would prevent engine knocking and increase engine efficiency. Especially for the new high compression automobile engines that were being designed. The processes that were invented to improve the yield of gasoline from crude oil were known as cracking. In petroleum refining, cracking is a process by which heavy hydrocarbon molecules are broken up into lighter molecules by means of heat, pressure, and sometimes catalysts. Eventually, catalytic cracking replaced thermal cracking in gasoline production. Catalytic cracking is the application of catalysts that create chemical reactions, producing more gasoline. The catalytic cracking process was invented by Eugene Houdry in 1937. Other methods used to improve the quality of gasoline and increase its supply including: · Polymerization: converting gaseous olefins, such as propylene and butylene, into larger molecules in the gasoline range · Alkylation: a process combining an olefin and a paraffin such as isobutane · Isomerization: the conversion of straight-chain hydrocarbons to branched-chain hydrocarbons · Reforming: using either heat or a catalyst to rearrange a molecular structure
 * How gas is obtained?**
 * <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Cracking **
 * <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Catalytic Cracking **
 * <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Additional Processes **


 * http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventions/a/gasoline.htm**
 * How Gas Is Obtained**
 * // Exploration //**
 * 1 The first step in the manufacture of gasoline is to find its parent ingredient, petroleum. Crude oil is trapped in areas of porous rock, or reservoir rock, after it has migrated there from the area of its origin. Possible areas of oil concentration may be pinpointed by looking for rock types that are commonly found in those areas. Explorers may examine the surface features of the land, analyze how sound waves bounce off

Gasoline is a volatile, flammable liquid obtained from the refinement of petroleum, or crude oil. the rock, or use a gravity meter to detect slight differences in rock formations. A fractional distillation tower is a huge unit that may hold up to 200,000 barrels of crude oil. The oil is first pumped into a furnace and heated to over 600°F (316°C), causing all, but the largest molecules to evaporate. The vapors rise into the fractionating column, which may be as tall as 150 feet (46 m). The vapors cool as they rise through the column. Since the boiling points of all the compounds differ, the larger, heavier molecules will condense first lower in the tower and the shorter, lighter molecules will condense higher in the tower. Natural gases, gasoline, and kerosene are released near the top. Heavier compounds used in the manufacture of plastics and lubricants are removed lower in the tower. Fractional distillation itself does not produce gasoline from crude oil; it just removes the gasoline from other compounds in crude oil. Further refining processes are now used to improve the quality of the fuel.
 * 2 After a possible oil reservoir is found, the area must be test drilled. Core samples are taken from test wells to confirm rock formations, and the samples are chemically analyzed in order to determine if more drilling is justified. Although the methods used today are more advanced than any of the past, there is still no certainty in oil exploration.
 * // Drilling //**
 * 3. Crude oil is recovered through wells that can reach over 1,000 feet (305 m) into the rock. The holes are made by rotary drillers, which use a bit to bore a hole in the ground as water is added. The water and soil create a thick mud that helps hold back the oil and prevent it from "gushing" due to the internal pressure contained in the reservoir rock. When the reservoir is reached, the mud continues to hold back the oil while the drill is removed and a pipe is inserted.
 * // Recovery //**
 * 4 To recover the oil, a complicated system of pipes and valves is installed directly into the drilling well. The natural pressure of the reservoir rock brings the oil out of the well and into the pipes. These are connected to a recovery system, which consists of a series of larger pipes taking the crude oil to the refinery via an oil (liquid) and gas (non-liquid) separator. This method allows the oil to be recovered with a minimum of waste.
 * 5 Eventually, the natural pressure of the well is expended, though great quantities of oil may still remain in the rock. Secondary recovery methods are now required to obtain a greater percentage of the oil. The pressure is restored by either injecting gas into the pocket above the oil or by flooding water into the well, which is far more common. In this process, four holes are drilled around the perimeter of the well and water is added. The petroleum will float on the water and come to the surface.
 * // Fractional distillation //**
 * 6. Crude oil is not a good fuel, since it is not fluid and requires a very high temperature to burn. The long chains of molecules in crude oil must be separated from the smaller chains of refined fuels, including gasoline, in a petroleum refinery. This process is called //fractional distillation.//

Another refining process is polymerization. This is the opposite of cracking in that it combines the smaller molecules of lighter gases into larger ones that can be used as liquid fuels.
 * // Refining petroleum //**
 * 7 Catalytic cracking is one of the most important processes in oil refining. This process uses a catalyst, high temperature, and increased pressure to affect chemical changes in petroleum. Catalysts such as aluminum, platinum, processed clay, and acids are added to petroleum to break down larger molecules so that it will possess the desired compounds of gasoline.

Additives //** On average, 44.4% of petroleum becomes gasoline. There really are no waste products from petroleum. The lighter chemicals are natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), jet fuel, and kerosene. The heavier products are used for the manufacture of lubricants, plastics, and **asphalt.** In addition, many less valuable products can be chemically converted into more saleable compounds. [|**http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Gasoline.html**] How gas is used? Gas is combusted in an engine through the reaction: 2C8H18 + 25O2 ­ 18H2O + 15CO2 + CO + NOx The 2 Gasoline molecules combine with the 25 oxygen molecules, energy is released and carbon dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen oxides. This is only a general formula because depending on the gasoline it can have different structures. This is how almost all gas is burned in modern vehicles. It is a basic setup but it demonstrates the procedure by which gas is burned. The four strokes of the cycle are intake, compression, power, and exhaust. Each corresponds to one full stroke of the piston; therefore, the complete cycle requires two revolutions of the crankshaft to complete.
 * 8 Once gasoline is refined, chemicals are added. Some are anti-knock compounds, which react with the chemicals in gasoline that burn too quickly, to prevent "engine knock." In leaded gasoline, tetraethyl lead is the anti-knock additive. (Unleaded gasoline is refined further so the need for anti-knock additives is minimal.) Other additives (antioxidants) are added to prevent the formation of gum in the engine. Gum is a resin formed in gasoline that can coat the internal parts of the engine and increase wear.
 * // Rating gasoline //**
 * 9 Gasoline is primarily a mixture of two volatile liquids, heptanes, and isooctane. Pure heptane, a lighter fuel, burns so quickly that it produces a great amount of knocking in an engine. Pure isooctane evaporates slowly and produces virtually no knocking. The ratio of heptane to isooctane is measured by the octane rating. The greater the percentage of isooctane, the less knocking and the higher the octane rating. For example, an octane rating of 87 is comparable to a mixture of 87% isooctane and 13% heptane.
 * Byproducts/Waste **

Intake
During the intake stroke, the piston moves downward, drawing a fresh charge of vaporized fuel/air mixture. The illustrated engine features a //poppet// intake valve which is drawn open by the vacuum produced by the intake stroke. Some early engines worked this way; however, most modern engines incorporate an extra cam/lifter arrangement as seen on the exhaust valve. The exhaust valve is held shut by a spring (not illustrated here).

Compression
As the piston rises, the poppet valve is forced shut by the increased cylinder pressure. Flywheel momentum drives the piston upward, compressing the fuel/air mixture.

Power
At the top of the compression stroke, the spark plug fires, igniting the compressed fuel. As the fuel burns it expands, driving the piston downward.

Exhaust
At the bottom of the power stroke, the exhaust valve is opened by the cam/lifter mechanism. The upward stroke of the piston drives the exhausted fuel out of the cylinder.

[]

Best aspects of gas, it is a good source of energy for vehicles. It can with the right equipment give a lot of energy and be productive per gallon. There is a high amount of energy released in the combustion of gas. Gas has also in recent years helped to spur research in the fields of renewable energy sources due to high prices at the pumps. This, despite the price has been a very positive effect that gas has had on the world in recent years. Researches in energies such as solar power and wind power have gained great recognition. M<span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; color: #333333; font-size: 9pt;">ore solar farms are rapidly under construction. Utilities in California and Florida have announced plans for at least eight new solar thermal <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; color: #003399; font-size: 9pt;">[|power] <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; color: #333333; font-size: 9pt;"> stations totaling more than 2,000 megawatts, while two photovoltaic projects are currently under development in California that would bring a total of 800 megawatts of power.

"You can expect to see a lot more of these <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; color: #003399; font-size: 9pt;">[|solar power] <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; color: #333333; font-size: 9pt;"> systems as the market for these technologies get built out and manufacturing costs come down," said Cliff Chen, senior energy analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists, a science advocacy group. [] Solar power may have its flaws such as it is limited by cloudy days and darkness, but there are ways around that by storing energy in molten salts for thermal cells, or in batteries for photovoltaic cells. These cells are however, less likely to become popular until the cost of the batteries decreases. There is hope however, according to Cliff Chen, senior energy analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists: <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; color: #333333; font-size: 9pt;">Still, the price of solar power has declined steadily over the past 30 years, and continues to drop significantly each year, Chen said.

"Credible sources of cost estimates from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and electricity industry consultant firms such as Black & Veatch suggest the cost of photovoltaic’s will drop by half in the next 10 to 15 years and by 30 to 40 percent for concentrated solar power systems in the same time frame," he noted. "That drop in price for concentrated solar power could even make it competitive with natural gas." []

One of the main complaints about gasoline is its production of greenhouse gases that are contributing to the warming of the planet. These gases such as CO2 are very effective at trapping the heat that is reflected and released back from the ground and would otherwise go out into space but are trapped by the CO2. Gasoline is also blamed for making the wealthy richer. What is meant is that the oil companies that are producing gas and marketing it are making record profits. ABC News' David Muir wrote an article dealing with these record profits. <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">As American consumers increasingly feel the pinch at the pump, oil companies have watched their profits soar. The newest numbers from the second quarter of this year show Exxon Mobil with a 32 percent increase in earnings over this time last year -- that's more than $7.6 billion. BP saw a profit increase of 38 percent, totaling $6.7 billion, while Conoco Phillips -- the third largest oil company in the country -- recorded a 56 percent increase in profit, more than $3 billion. "The huge profits are enormous because the public is drastically overpaying what it costs to produce," said Joan Claybrook, president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. Many of these companies long ago bought oil reserves at prices of $10 to $25 a barrel. With prices peaking near the $67 mark, the profit margin has been enormous. Even more eye-opening is the profit in Saudi Arabia. Saudis are making an average of $208 million more each day since the increase in crude oil prices first began in December 2003. <span style="line-height: 200%; display: none; font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hide: all;">Top of Form <span style="line-height: 200%; display: none; font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohide: all;">

<span style="text-align: center; line-height: 200%; display: none; font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msohide: all;">Bottom of Form <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">But many wonder if any of those increasing profits -- overseas and at home -- are being spent on energy solutions to solve refinery woes and shrinking U.S. oil production. "The answer is yes, but the impact of those is not immediate," said Mike Rothman, the head of integrated oil research for the International Strategy & Investment Group. Consumer advocates say Congress is doing nothing to speed up the process, instead passing an energy bill that gives tax breaks to the oil industry. "They [the oil industry] got $6 billion in the energy bill over 10 years. That's a huge, huge amount of money," said Claybrook. "And you'd think with the price of oil at $65 a barrel; they didn't need any new incentives." [] Gas is and has been mainstream energy for the United States and other industrialized nations for year. It is an effective form of energy, that almost all vehicles in the last 100 years have been designed to run on. Once the science of gasoline and how to make it run well in cars was understood and perfected by balancing anti knocking agents and the lighter components it became functionally mainstream. [|**http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Gasoline.html**]<span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
 * <span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Will Profits Lead to Solutions? **
 * Once gasoline is refined, chemicals are added. Some are anti-knock compounds, which react with the chemicals in gasoline that burn too quickly, to prevent "engine knock." In leaded gasoline, tetraethyl lead is the anti-knock additive. (Unleaded gasoline is refined further so the need for anti-knock additives is minimal.) Other additives (antioxidants) are added to prevent the formation of gum in the engine. Gum is a resin formed in gasoline that can coat the internal parts of the engine and increase wear.
 * //Rating gasoline//**
 * 9 Gasoline is primarily a mixture of two volatile liquids, heptane, and isooctane. Pure heptane, a lighter fuel, burns so quickly that it produces a great amount of knocking in an engine. Pure isooctane evaporates slowly and produces virtually no knocking. The ratio of heptane to isooctane is measured by the octane rating. The greater the percentage of isooctane, the less knocking and the higher the octane rating. For example, an octane rating of 87 is comparable to a mixture of 87% isooctane and 13% heptane.



Gasoline makes up a huge part of the worlds fuel supply in every aspect of the word. Gas is the main fuel supply used by cars, trains, ships, trucks, and much more. Every day we use over 10,000 barrels of gasoline in the world which is a huge number in aspects to the fuel consumption of the entire world. Gasoline is almost 50% of what the earth’s fuel sources are made up of. The other fuel sources used today are: nuclear, hydro, coal, renewable and waste, and a few other small sources that make up the last .4% of the earth’s fuel source. Gas makes up so much of the world’s fuel source because it is so easy to make and it is a very easy system to set up. Cars and most automobiles all use the same type of intake system which makes it easy to use one common fuel source to keep the vehicles moving at a steady and fast pace. Gasoline has a lot of qualities associated with it in aspects to its performance and also contribution to pollution and other harmful things. However, gasoline has many aspects of it that make it one of the best fuel sources there are. Gas is one of the easiest fuels to use and run through engines and cycles to insure that the product will work. It is also very accessible to people in the fact that it is everywhere and it is so easy to get a hold of all you have to do is drive for 5 minutes down a road and you will pass a gas station. These are some of the ideas that make sense why gasoline is one of the world’s largest fuel sources used today. The definition of gasoline is, “a [|petroleum]-derived [|liquid] mixture, primarily used as [|fuel] in [|internal combustion engines]. It also is used as a powerful solvent much like [|acetone]” (Wikipedia.com). This shows what the components of gasoline are and what it is used for. Knowing what the components of gasoline and what they are actually used for is key in the understanding of gas in today’s world. “It consists mostly of [|aliphatic] [|hydrocarbons], enhanced with [|iso-octane] or the [|aromatic] hydrocarbons [|toluene] and [|benzene] to increase its [|octane rating]. Small quantities of various additives are common, for purposes such as tuning engine performance or reducing harmful exhaust [|emissions]. Some mixtures also contain significant quantities of [|ethanol] as a partial [|alternative fuel]. Most current or former [|Commonwealth countries] use the term "petrol", abbreviated from **petroleum spirit**. In [|North America], the word "gasoline" is the common term, where it is often shortened in [|colloquial] usage to simply "gas". It is not a genuinely [|gaseous] fuel (unlike, for example, [|liquefied petroleum gas], which is stored under pressure as a liquid, but returned to a gaseous state before combustion). The term **petrogasoline** is also used. In aviation, //mogas//, short for //motor gasoline//, is used to distinguish [|automobile] fuel from //aviation gasoline//, or [|//avgas//]. In [|British English], "gasoline" can refer to a different petroleum derivative historically used in [|lamps], but this usage is relatively uncommon” (Wikipedia.com). Critics of today are starting to realize the harmfulness of gasoline and are starting to try and stop the use of gasoline at an extremely high rate. “ Increasingly, landowners and residents of oil and gas field communities are reporting health impacts that they believe are linked to environmental toxics associated with the oil and gas development activities in their area. These reports include incidents of: asthma, respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, autoimmune diseases, liver failure, cancer and other ailments such as headaches, nausea, and sleeplessness” ( [] ). Human health problems are only the small contributions of gasoline in the world that affect it in a negative way. Many of the problems that come along with gasoline are actually from the elements that make it up. “ Petroleum and gasoline consist of blends of over 250 diverse hydrocarbons. Many of these are toxic; some, such as benzene, are carcinogenic. Hydrocarbons escape into the air during refilling, from the gasoline tank and carburetor during normal operation, and from engine exhaust. Transportation sources account for 30-50% of all hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere.” (http://www.sentex.net/~crfa/ethaenv1.html). Probably the biggest negative affect that gasoline has on the Earth is on its ozone layer. “ Ozone is formed in air when hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxides react in the presence of sunlight and heat. This is of particular concern on warm, summer-like days when “smog” is prevalent. Ground level ozone causes human respiratory stress, and damages many plants, significantly reducing farm crop yields and the “health” of trees and other vegetation. However, ground level ozone does nothing to increase ozone concentration in the stratosphere, which protects the earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Burning gasoline emits significant quantities of a wide range of hydrocarbons, whereas burning ethanol yields mainly unburned ethanol and aldehydes. Alcohols have much lower reactivities than gasoline hydrocarbons, whereas aldehydes are highly reactive. Several U.S.-based studies conclude that the overall ozone forming potential of ethanol-gasoline blends (with their higher volatility) is about the same as gasoline. In Canada, however, the volatility of ethanol blends must match normal gasoline, and therefore the ozone forming potential of ethanol blends will be reduced, overall” ([]). With gasoline affecting the ozone it’s only a matter of time until its effects contribute to world disasters and even bigger mishaps. Ozone depletion is one of the biggest concerns with global warming and the natural effects it’s having on the increased storms and weather patterns. If people were to sit back and realize what gasoline is doing to the Earth they would stop using it right away. “About 33% of U.S carbon dioxide emissions comes from the burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engines of cars and light trucks (minivans, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, and jeeps).[|US Emissions Inventory 2006 page 8]Vehicles with poor gas mileage contribute the most to global warming. For example, according to the E.P.A's 2000 Fuel Economy Guide, a new Dodge Durango sports utility vehicle (with a 5.9 liter engine) that gets 12 miles per gallon in the city will emit an estimated 800 pounds of carbon dioxide over a distance of 500 city miles. In other words for each gallon of gas a vehicle consumes, 19.6 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted into the air. [|[21]] A new Honda Insight that gets 61 miles to the gallon will only emit about 161 pounds of carbon dioxide over the same distance of 500 city miles. Sports utility vehicles were built for rough terrain, off road driving in mountains and deserts. When they are used for city driving, they are so much overkill to the environment. If one has to have a large vehicle for their family, station wagons are an intelligent choice for city driving, especially since their price is about half that of a sports utility. Inasmuch as SUV's have a narrow wheel base in respect to their higher silhouette, they are four times as likely as cars to rollover in an accident. [|[33]]The United States is the largest consumer of oil, using 20.4 million barrels per day. In his debate with former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, during the 2000 Presidential campaign, Senator Joseph Lieberman said, "[|If we can get 3 miles more per gallon] from our cars, we'll save 1 million barrels of oil a day, which is exactly what the (Arctic National Wildlife) Refuge at its best in Alaska would produce." If car manufacturers were to increase their fleets' average gas mileage about 3 miles per gallon, this country could save a million barrels of oil every day, while US drivers would save $25 billion in fuel costs annually” ([]). This shows exactly why people should realize the facts and see that if we only stopped using gasoline then not only would we save thousands of dollars every year but we would be helping the Earth in a way that could never be done before. Our parents and grandparents discovered all of this new technology to use these fuels and different things that we now know are harmful and are killing the Earth. So now we need to realize that it is time for our generation to start fixing these problems and start turning to better resources to power our future. One of the newest technologies that people have come up with to decrease the amount of gasoline in the world is alternative fuels. A lot of people have come up with different alternative fuels such as cooking grease which you can transfer into fuel through a diesel engine of a truck or car. This is one of the most common ways to reduce gasoline consumption and one of the best. It cuts down cost of fuel and it increases your fuel intake to make your vehicle drive longer and more efficient. “Alternative fuels are derived from resources other than petroleum. Some are produced domestically, reducing our dependence on imported oil, and some are derived from renewable sources. Often, they produce less pollution than gasoline or diesel” ([]).

Another way people are trying to cut down the harmful effects of gas is by making cars into solar power. Solar power is when you take the sun’s rays and turn them into electricity which “fuels” your car or truck. “[|Solar] power comes from the energy of our Sun, a yellow dwarf star located 93 million miles from the Earth. It is a middle-aged, mid-size star compared to the billions of other stars in the universe. The interior of the Sun is a region very high in temperature and filled with dense gases. The Sun's core is estimated to be approximately 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. Heat and light from the Sun are produced through a process called [|nuclear fusion]. Sunlight is an excellent energy source and the future of using solar power is very exciting. The Sun's energy can be used to heat and cool buildings, generate electricity, operate communication and navigation systems and even power solar cars, like the ones in the General Motors Solar Car Sunrayce featured in the Newton's Apple segment! Solar-powered cars all get their fuel from the same place - the Sun. The cars use hundreds of photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity. Each cell produces about one-half volt of electricity. When the Sunrayce teams design their electrical systems they have to allow for variations in sunlight. The Sun's energy powers the car's motor and charges a battery for use when the Sun is hidden by a cloud. If a car is designed to put all of its energy toward driving and keeps nothing in reserve, it will stop completely in cloudy weather. If too much energy is diverted to the battery, the engine runs too slowly to keep up in the race. Engineers and scientists still have many questions and problems to tackle before solar power becomes an efficient and economical way to fuel vehicles. But as the demand on [|fossil fuel] resources increases, research will continue to search for alternative energy sources, including harnessing the Sun's energy to drive a vehicle. The most exciting part of using solar power as an energy source is that it is pollution free and inexhaustible. If research continues, one day solar energy may replace today's combustion engine cars” ([]). After I began learning about gasoline and what type of technology it was I was stunned. Who knew that something people use every day would contribute to the Earth in such a negative way that gasoline does? People driving to work, going on vacation, and delivering a pizza are all hurting the Earth in a way which can never be fixed. If people keep polluting the earth with these harmful gas engines and machines than people will be extinct in the next few hundred years. The Earth won’t be inhabitable for humans and other animals which need certain foods and gases to live on the Earth such as air. Once the ozone layer is totally destroyed people won’t be able to breath and will all die. We all need to realize the consequences of what gasoline is doing to our planet and follow along with the leaders who are trying to change the world. Whether this is through alternative energies, solar power or wind, or even changing your car over from a diesel to an alternative fuel source. If everyone changes their actions with gasoline we will stop polluting the earth in one of the biggest ways of today’s generation.