AIEA

While the American economy continues on its unstable path, it will continue to affect the world economy too. One way that the United States can improve their stability is through the development of clean and renewable energy sources that will diminish the need for foreign oil and create more jobs on American soil. This process will also improve the environment, which benefits everyone. Ironically, much of the enegy for future development was conceived of many years ago and has only recently gone into expedited processes.

Solar technology has been on the minds and tongues of many people for a long time. Laboratories can make solar cells that capture solar power and transform it into electricity.

Recent developments from UC-Berkley, however, suggest that it is possible to engineer tobacco plants to create solar cells by using a virus to mutate the plants so that they will generate synthetic solar cells. A great deal of this is still theoretical, but early indications are positive. While other forms of solar cell production like self-assembling cells, for instance are also being theorized, this one seems to be the most rational at the time.

Wind power has been an available technology for many years and is still in continuous use around the world, most prominently in the recognizable form of windmills. In fact, wind turbines are the leading alternative energy source on the market right now. One of the newest designs is modeled after jet engines, taking advantage of the way they use intake and exhaust.

During World War II, Europe began manufacturing cars that could run on wood, or more specifically wood gas. While this improved fuel efficiency, they were extremely impractical, but with advancements in micro-technology it could be quite possible for an innovative company to learn from this past idea and improve on it.

As consumers clamor for alternative, fuels in order to make sense of this energy crisis while dealing also with the economic recession, there are many new technologies that they will have to choose from. If you are considering altering your vehicle or even trading up for something a little more eco-friendly you might want to take a look at how gasohol has helped to change the way people get around since its inception. Also known as E10 it is a low ethanol blend of fuel that rates a little higher than gasoline, and is the base for many newer fuel blends, particularly the very recent E85 ethanol that has received much praise of late

The full statistics on gasohol are as follows: 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent anhydrous ethanol, with a 2 to 3 point boost in octane rating.

It is approved for most modern internal-combustion engines and for all U. S. Automobiles and its development has been supported since the 1973 oil crisis, as well as subsequent energy crises over the decades. This blend of fuel compounds has been required or mandated in many countries and several states because it is better for emissions.

One of the most significant characteristics of gasohol is that it was originally conceived as a way to decrease the United State’s dependency on foreign oil. Aside from the fact that it can also reduce emissions by up to 20-30 percent under ideal conditions, it can also reduce carbon monoxide and greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide by 2 percent.

Many countries have turned to using E10 for these reasons. Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Pakistan, Austria, and France have all instituted E10 fuels. In Thailand, it actually replaced all high octane pure gasoline in 2007 nationwide. Many American states have also commonly adopted the use of E10, with plans to institute it statewide within the next couple of years.