Alternative Fuel

The United States spent about $12 trillion on crude oil since the oikl embargo of the 70's. About 70% of the crude is used for transportation purposes. The United States has only about 5% of the world population and yet we put 25% of all pollutants in the air. "The Transportation sector is responsible for over half of the nation's air pollution" (www.oregon.gov)

The question that we need to ask is not when we will find an alternitive but when we are going to use what we already have.

I took a Sociology of Transportation class a few terms ago, it was quite enlightening. one of the books that we read was "Children of the Sun; A History of Humanity's Unappeasable Appetite for Energy" by Alfred Crosby. He says "Heat engines and electric power plants burning fossil fuel emit millions of tons of sulfer dioxides, nitrogen oxides and other pollutants into the air."

According to the Center for Desease control (www.cdc.gov) athsma is at an all time high in children and adults and the main cause is Environmental Exposure.

And according to Crosby our electrial usage has increased from 2000 Kilowatt-hours in 1950 to 12,700 in the year 2000.

We already have a viable alternitive, bio diesal, it cost less to make and to use. the United States is the largest purchaser of crude in the world.

We need to find more viable ways to reduce our contamination of the planet. Our Polar Ice Caps are melting. Our tempuratures are rising and people are dying because of it. If we continue at this rate we will not have a planet to leave our children