why? because the earth is melting.

OK you got me, the earth is not going to melt... but the polar ice caps might. Reading a New York Times article today about global warming made me think of all the horrible things that could happen if we, the human race, do not begin to change the way we live on this planet. But don't take this the wrong way. This post will not consist of me bashing everyone who does not hug trees or don't drive Toyota Prius' (which isn't actually very eco-friendly), but it is rather a discussion about what else is really out there. And which of those are actually practical alternatives to burning fossil fuels for our cars? 

Yes, I do love big SUVs as much as the next guy, along with gas guzzling high-luxury sedans and of course my personal favorite, voraciously hungry super cars. Nonetheless, as scholarly men and women, we must be open to new ideas, because that's what scholarly people do. Now, I understand there are many alternatives already in the market, such as the aforementioned hybrid Prius, or natural gas vehicles like the Honda Civic GX, or fully electric like the Nissan Leaf. So why are 98% of Americans still using regular gasoline engines? 

Here, we'll go over a few alternatives and what they're about.

Battery-electric

On paper, hybrids like the Prius are great: >50 miles to the gallon, zero smog and carbon dioxide emissions, and even a solar panel that helps conserve the car's electricity when parked. Everything an environmentalist can ask for, right? Wrong. A hybrid, in actuality, is a contradiction on wheels. Apparently, as I am told, the amount of energy it takes and the amount of toxic waste emitted while making this car is so tremendous, you are better off buying a 1 mpg Hummer. Surprisingly, this is not the reason why hybrids are not as popular as regular gasoline cars. It is because some designers of hybrids think that just because you want a high mpg car, you also want an ugly one. Look at this.

Electric

Now, I do like the idea of an electric car. It sounds so futuristic and who knows, maybe all cars will be electric one day. What is great is that it uses absolutely no gasoline, which means good for the environment and your wallet. I've read that it does not even increase your electric bills very much and best of all, you'll feel so awesome knowing that you are driving a ridiculously cool car. Downsides? Unfortunately, there are some. Gas engines refill in about 2 to 3 minutes. Electric cars charge for 6-8 hours, only to be in need of another charge after a few drives. For me however, a bigger downside is the fact that electric cars just don't make enough grunt. When I step on that gas pedal, I want the car to respond with a "rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" sound, you know what I mean? I could go on about the cons, but it's just easier to say that I would not buy one before a huge revolutionary improvement in electric cars is implemented.

And last but not least...

Natural Gas
No, natural gas is not the thing you get after eating a burrito. It is actually an inexpensive gas consisting of saturated hydrocarbons such as methane or ethane. I see so much potential here because it is a renewable resource that is just so abundant in many parts of the world. There are some inconveniences though, which prevent it from achieving worldwide domination. Nonetheless, natural gas vehicles (NGV) are actually pretty popular nowadays. Though it is quite scary if you think about it. NGV's carry around an extremely compressed, high pressure tank to carry their fuel. Basically, if anything goes wrong, the car explodes. No biggie though.

So, these are some of the more well known alternatives to the gasoline engine. We'll cover different ones at a later time, but if you have any comments, suggestions, questions... keep me in the loop! What is your take on helping the environment? And what do you think will be the main energy source for our cars in the future?
Just click the comment button down below.