Mr. Lasure Tech. Comm. 25 October 2012

Mr. Lasure

Tech. Comm.

25 October 2012

Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988

The quality of the air we breathe is necessary for a healthy future. Within the past 30-40 years, we have realized the impact that the automobile has on the environment. The United States government passed legislation that promotes the use of alternative fuels which results in the reduction of hazardous emissions into the air.

Ongoing research about the environmental effects of automobile pollutants encouraged the government to get involved and pass new laws. “The Clean Air Act and its amendments gave the EPA the authority to establish and enforce air pollution standards and set emission standards…” (Air Pollution). This resulted in many amendments to The Clean Air Act. One important amendment is the Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988 or AMFA. This law deals with the impact of automobiles on air quality. The AMFA states that “there exists evidence that manmade pollution--the release of carbon dioxide, chlorofluocarbons, methane, and other trace gases into the atmosphere—may be producing a long term and substantial increase in the average temperature on Earth, a phenomenon known as global warming through the greenhouse effect…” (Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988). A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs and gives off radiation. According to reports on fuel alternatives for highway vehicles, carbon dioxide is responsible for 99% of all greenhouse gasses. To encourage government use of alternative fuels, the AMFA states that “the secretary shall ensure …that the maximum number practicable of the passenger automobiles and light duty trucks acquired annually for use by the federal government shall be alcohol powered vehicles, dual energy vehicles, natural gas powered vehicles, or natural gas dual energy vehicles.” (Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988). This got the program going requiring that service vehicles run on alternate types of fuel. This act also “creates vehicle manufacturer incentives in the form of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) credits…” (Key Federal Legislation). The program gives credit to manufacturers of vehicles which are more fuel efficient and use alternative fuel products. And as a consequence, if the average fuel economy per year from an auto manufacturer’s sales fleet is rated below the standard, the company will be fined. There has been a lot of research showing that the effects of automobile emissions are harmful to the environment, and as a result new laws were created to protect the future.

As fuel prices continue to rise, there is an ongoing search for a fuel that is cheaper. But since the Clean Air Act was made into law, the search continues for a fuel that is cheaper and also better for the environment. “When we’re talking about the history of alternative fuels, it is easy to point to Henry Ford and his experiments with soybean fuel” (Lowery). The idea of using grain for fuel has been around a long time and “since those days in the 1930s and 40s, ethanol has definitely hung around” (Lowery). What makes ethanol different? Lowery points out that “E85 as it is called is 85% bio-ethanol and 15% gasoline. It is clean burning and it reduces hydrocarbons”. Another important factor about ethanol is that is produced here in the U.S. making it cheaper to buy, and is renewable because it is made from corn or sugar cane. Using ethanol for fuel can make a huge difference in air quality. “Corn based ethanol production and use can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 52% compared to gasoline production and use” (Ethanol Benefits and Considerations). Another alternative fuel, methanol, was used during the 1990s. “Methanol is a fuel made from steam reforming natural gas” (Methanol). It is just about phased out as an alternative fuel because it is not the most efficient fuel to produce. For the transportation business, a cleaner diesel fuel is now available as an alternative for trucks and busses. Agricultural farm equipment can also use the better diesel; it is called bio-diesel. “Bio-diesel is a domestically produced renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or restaurant grease” (Biodiesel Benefits). As for the current diesel fuel being used, the government is cracking down on the sulfur content, and has required that 80% of highway diesel contain less sulfur than 15 parts per million. But overall, ethanol is the favorite alternative fuel in the U. S. because of its low cost compared to gasoline, and also because of its cleaner qualities for the environment.

As a result of the Clean Air Act and the Alternative Motor Fuels Act, “auto manufacturers were mandated to install exhaust controls or develop less polluting engines” (Air Pollution). The government put pressure on auto makers, giving fines for those companies that fail to meet the standards, but they also gave credits to encourage production of vehicles that meet the fuel requirements. Without the CAFÉ incentive program as part of the Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988, “vehicle manufacturers would probably not maintain production of alternative-fuel vehicles…” (Report Encourages Development, Production of Alternative-Fuel Vehicles). To go one step further, the U. S. government wanted to be a role model. Government vehicles were required to meet the alternative fuel standards, which led to another amendment to the Clean Air Act. The AMFA of 1988 eventually led to the passing of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. “This act required purchases of alternatively fueled vehicles by many classes of industry and government…” (Transportation Fuel Alternatives for Highway Vehicles). The EPA’s rule to make trucks and busses run cleaner requires them to use reduced sulfur diesel. As a result of this amendment, “2.6 million tons of smog causing nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced each year” (Court Upholds EPA Reduced-Emissions Rule). Since 2006, the EPA requires diesel to have reduced sulfur content. With the enforcement by environmental groups and the government, 97% of the sulfur content of diesel has been removed as of the year 2010. With ongoing research and technology, automobile manufacturers are close to being able to build vehicles that do not sacrifice power and performance for environmental safety. As the economy improves, “we could save 45 million barrels of oil annually, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6.9 metric tons per year” (Lowery). By producing our own fuel sources, we can become less dependent on other countries, and also be able to control the price for fuel. The most important issue relating to alternative fuels is that we will not be causing as much harm to the air quality.

As more and more laws get passed to protect the environment, the U.S. will have to get stricter on the types of fuel being used in order to reduce the amount of pollutants released into the air. As a result of the Clean Air Act, amendments have been passed into law regulating types of fuel, and encouraging the use of alternative safer fuels. The most popular alternative is ethanol. Replacing gasoline with ethanol for gas engines, or low sulfur diesel fuel for diesel engines, can reduce hazardous emissions into the air. When we produce our own safe fuel, we not only protect our environment, but will help protect our financial future as well.

Works Cited

“Air Pollution.” The Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 25 October 2012.