Finding the Least-Worst Fuel

by Alex Porter ’13

With the national average gas price at $4, an increase of more than $1 from last year, and the high prices of summer approaching, energy doctrine is back on the national agenda. Pressure is mounting in Washington to take away oil subsidies and to find a way to lower prices, and that pressure was heightened with the testimonies of oil executives before Congress on May 13. The concerns over using gas have prompted a renewed concern for its future or successor.

Fuels can generally be classified by whether or not they are renewable. Renewable energy can be consistently produced, while non-renewable is easier to access at the moment and is more familiar to consumers. Many levels of government have initiatives to transfer vehicle fleets to renewable sources, even military fighter jets. Many ideas for conserving energy have been proposed, including plans from oil companies like ExxonMobil to develop algae as fuel. However, most of these ideas are only pipe dreams and are not going to become reality any time soon.

In the end, four sources stand out as the most viable: oil, natural gas, ethanol and electric. Oil is currently used, and has worked, but is becoming increasingly difficult to continue to exploit. There is always the fear of another environmental disaster like BP’s Gulf of Mexico spill last spring or the Exxon Valdez off the Alaskan coast in 1989, the worst spill in U.S. history until the former. Much of U.S. foreign policy revolves around having access to the world’s dwindling reserves, resulting in what would be otherwise unlikely partnerships. Oil prices are unstable, especially often because of the turmoil in the places it is exported from. More drilling has been proposed, but the available supply has already peaked, and even if the oil comes from American shores, we will not receive all of it. However, oil is already in common use, and provides a greater amount of power per dollar compared to the alternatives.

Natural gas is suggested as a replacement to oil, and is comparable to it in many ways. Like oil, it is not renewable and has to be pulled out of the Earth. However, the United States has a great amount of natural gas, which is easier to extract and burns more cleanly. Most notably it is expected to be capable of meeting energy demands for the next century. But after that century, we would be in the same position as now, searching for yet another solution.

Another homegrown alternative is ethanol, which is already commonly blended into our gas now. Ethanol is renewable as it is extracted from corn and other plants. However, the agricultural industry producing it is heavily reliant on subsidies to stay afloat, making it a less cost-effective solution. Ethanol also poses an environmental risk. While growing a plant may seem beneficial at first, producing large quantities demands massive use of fertilizers and pesticides, causing pollution.

Electricity can be produced by renewable sources, such as windmills and dams, and is already accessed by consumers daily. However, the production of requires the burning of fossil fuels. Making electricity an option for commuters would also require improvement in electric vehicle range, competitive vehicles prices, and recharging stations becoming a common sight.

The final major option is nuclear power. Used in the United States and other advanced nations today, nuclear plants produce lower amounts of pollution and are reliable. The problem with nuclear energy is the potential for meltdowns, like the Fukushima Daiichi power plant disaster in Japan earlier this year. While there are few incidents like this, they have caused Germany to decide to close all of its reactors because of the omnipotent risk of catastrophe.  

So what can we do? In an ideal world, besides running cars and houses on children’s smiles, we would find a way to use renewable biofuels, like ethanol, in conjunction with electricity produced from renewable sources. However, in the real world, oil will most likely be used until it is completely exhausted. There is no perfect solution, but increased use of natural gas could serve as a stop gap measure, and will hopefully last long enough for a real successor to be developed.