Finding Alternative Fossil Fuels

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Alternative fossil fuels refers to fossil sources of fuel that are harnessed as an alternative to the common sources to date; that is, oil, coal and gas. Oil, coal and gas are organic and comes from the remains of animals and plants. However, these sources have been depleted, hence their increasing market price. At the same time, the burning of fossil fuels has detrimental environment costs. These emit toxic substances that pollute the atmosphere and worsen global warming.

There is a current effort to source out alternative sources of fossil fuels. Of these, oil shale and bituminous sands have made headway. Canada, for one , is known for its large supply of ‘tar sands.’

Efficient alternatives for fossil fuels

Compressed natural gas (CNG), which also comes from an alternative fuel source, burns cleaner than the normal petroleum used for vehicles. These can also save a lot of energy, and make vehicles run longer. However, the problem with CNG is that it needs more fuel storage space than normal petroleum. At the same time, sources for this are also limited.

A sample of natural gas from alternative fossil sources is methane hydrate. This type of gas is stored in water ice and can be found in ocean sediments and oceanic rock formations. To date, methane hydrate is abundant throughout the world. However, methane hydrate also released carbon dioxide when burned, which in turn can pollute similarly as the common fossil fuels.

So far, the major drawback for alternative fossil fuels is finding the cost-efficient and energy-efficient source. Environmental effects should also be considered.