Research+Report-Environmental+Issue

=**//__Research Essay__//**= //The Future of Vehicles and Their Impact on the Environment//
 * Hunter Selby-Period 10**

10.8% of the world’s greenhouse gases are caused by automobiles. Our planet and our environment have suffered extreme consequences because of air pollution. Many different causes and events might impact this, but one of the biggest factors is transportation. Even though transportation, especially automobiles, has become a very daily and important part of the world, they still pose a very serious threat to the environment. Many solutions have been proposed and researched, like hybrids, PZEVs, electric vehicles, and fuel-cell vehicles, to help eliminate this problem of damage to the environment because of automobiles. Many studies and statistics show the problems caused by gasoline-powered cars. 17.8% of international greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, including 10.2% from automobiles (“Automobile Emissions”). And with almost the entire half a billion vehicle population in the world releasing 19.4 pounds of carbon dioxide along with other pollutants every time they burn 1 gallon of gas, it can easily add up and cause damage (“Automobile Emissions”). 95% of energy for transportation comes from fuels based off of petroleum, a non-renewable resource (“Automobile Emissions”). Petroleum-based fuels like diesel account for 31% of transport energy, and gas accounts for 47% and aviation fuel for 9% (“Automobile Emissions”). And with China’s annual vehicle sales passing 10 million in 2009, it adds to the problem and damage. The number of automobiles in the world grew 5 times faster than the international human population from 1950-1997; from 50 million to 580 million automobiles. Many people and organizations are trying to help eliminate this problem, but it is not a problem that will find a perfect solution over-night. Many government officials are trying to help find new solutions. A bipartisan group consisting of 17 US Senators and 21 US House Representatives asked for $90 million in federal funds to research hybrids from the federal government under Former President George W. Bush (Motavalli 33). And more recently, President Barack Obama announced a policy in 2009 to make all vehicles run at least 25 miles a gallon by 2016, saving over 1.8 billion barrels of oil during the program, which is equivalent to removing 58 million cars from US roads for 1 year (“Automobile Emissions”). This help is necessary to improving air quality in the US. 55% of the American population lives in counties with unhealthy ozone levels (Calhoun 4). 7.5 million adults and 3 million children that have asthma live in areas that have unhealthy levels of short-term or year-long ozone pollution (Calhoun 4). 159 million US residents live in 441 counties with unhealthy air quality (Calhoun 8). Some people have already started using alternatives means of transportation to help conserve the environment. According to a poll conducted by Frost & Sullivan, 1 in 5 people say they are starting to use alternative means of transportation such as car pools, walking, biking, and public transportation (Motavalli 27). Even little tasks, like filling up a gas tank at night helps eliminate ozone by preventing the sun from turning evaporating gas into ozone (Calhoun 6). Hybrids are one of the many possible solutions to regular gasoline vehicles. General Motors produced the first production, plug-in hybrid which was showcased at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show as the Chevrolet Volt (Motavalli 27). The Chevrolet Volt would be capable of driving 800 miles between stops (Motavalli 27). Some hybrids, like the Chevy Volt, have computer programs that shut the engine off at traffic lights (Motavalli 33). Some people have already started to purchase and use hybrids. J.D. Power & Associates predicts that hybrids will make up 5% of the market in 2013, up from 1% in 2007 (Motavalli 27). 88,000 hybrids were sold in 2004; 200,000 sold in 2005, and 190,966 sold by the end of November 2006, equaling a total of around 550,000 hybrids on the road as of 2007 (Motavalli 30). Hybrids are also evolving and getting makeovers. Dr. Andrew Frank, Mechanical Engineering Professor at the University of California in Davis, envisioned a hybrid with a 350-pound lithium-ion battery that can travel 60 miles after recharging, and the battery would last 150,000 miles (Motavalli 27). And even today’s hybrids are getting high remarks from many different people. The Toyota Prius can travel 50 miles on 1 gallon of gas, and was picked as the Top Green Car of 2010 by //Forbes// (Hincha-Ownby 1). And even though there are many advantages to using a hybrid, one downfall is that the hybrid still uses gasoline, even though they are more fuel-efficient than other cars, which doesn’t solve the non-renewable gas issue. Electric Vehicles are not as popular as hybrids, but might be a better solution. The Telsa Roadster is 100% battery powered and can go from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds (Henry 2). Even though it is a great solution, it costs $98,000 and is built in England (Henry 2). Many electric vehicles also make very little noise, but won’t “creep” when the brake is released (Motavalli 33). One of the most favored solutions is the Fuel-Cell Vehicle. Fuel-Cells don’t burn anything, but creates electricity from hydrogen, and only releases water vapor (Motavalli 32). Fuel-cell engines were first used by NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for space missions (Motavalli 32). The Honda FCX uses fuel-cells to produce power without emissions. It can travel 300 miles between hydrogen stations, but there are only about 30 in the US (Motavalli 27). After millions of dollars worth of research and development, the Chevrolet Sequel is the world’s most advance fuel-cell vehicle as of 2007 (Motavalli 32). Even though the Fuel-Cell is a very environmentally-friendly car, some of the models like the Honda FCX, cost $1-2 million in 2007 (Motavalli 32). Diesel is another solution being looked at, but it might not be the best. 9 million diesel vehicles were made in 2006 worldwide, but only 300,000 hybrids were made (Motavalli 30). Biodiesel has also become an interest. Biodiesel can be made out of agricultural products like soybean or switch grass (Motavalli 31). Diesel, however, is still a fuel based off of petroleum, which still releases pollution and exhaust, and biodiesel costs twice as much as diesel, and it still pollutes if blended with petroleum (Lavelle 6). Partial-Zero Emissions Vehicles, or PZEVs, are starting to become almost as popular as hybrids for many reasons. PZEVs convert exhaust gases into an emission that is cleaner than the air around the road (Motavalli 32). PZEVs are available in common models like the Subaru Legacy, Ford Focus, and Nissan Altima, and only cost a couple hundred dollars extra (Motavalli 32). Partial-Zero Emissions Vehicles are cleaner running than a normal gasoline car turned off (Motavalli 32). Even with all these benefits, the PZEVs still run on gasoline, which is not a renewable resource. Many of these solutions are good ideas to save the environment, but there are a few that stand out. Partial-Zero Emissions Vehicles (PZEVs) are one of the best choices today, because they release no pollution or exhaust, and they only cost a few hundred dollars more than a normal gasoline model. The best solution to both pollution and the use of non-renewable resources is a car that would be able to run on water. The car would be able to produce electricity by hydropower, and it would only release water vapor as exhaust instead of Carbon Dioxide. This way the water used can be released back into the environment and possibly sometime again be filtered and sold at a “water station” for use in another car. Many solutions have been proposed and researched to help eliminate the use of non-renewable resources, such as petroleum and natural gas, for energy and pollution to the environment. Many of these solutions have the opportunity to help lower the ozone level throughout the United States and the world. But if everyone decides it doesn’t matter or it doesn’t need to change yet, we might very possibly lose the environment we live in and future generations will have to deal with the problem.

Works Cited "Automobile Emissions." //Global Issues in Context Online Collection//. Detroit: Gale, 2010. //Global Issues In Context//. Web. 7 Dec. 2010. Henry, Jim. "Ten Environmentally Friendly Luxury Cars." //Forbes.com//. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. Hincha-Ownby, Melissa. "The Top Green Cars Of 2010." //Forbes.com//. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. Lavelle, Marianne. "Living Without Oil." //U.S. News & World Report//. Feb. 17 2003: 32-39. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 08 Dec 2010. Motavalli, Jim. "2007 Here Come the...Cleaner, Greener Cars." //E Magazine Vol. XVIII, No. 2//. March/April 2007: 26-33. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 19 Nov 2010.