Alternative fuels: are they achievable?

Abstract

In recent years, fossil fuels have come under increasing scrutiny, as it has become clear that there is both a limited supply and rapidly growing demand in the emerging global market. With large countries, such as China and India industrializing, the demand for petroleum-based fuels will soon exceed the supply. This growth in demand comes at the same time global warming appears to be a serious threat. Non-fossil fuel renewable energy sources may be an important alternative for both consumers and logistics managers. In this paper, the authors examine the following questions related to these alternative energy sources in the USA: What fuel source could possibly match the abundance and accessibility of petroleum-based fuels? Will these new alternatives be environmentally friendly? And ultimately, will these changes be economically feasible?

Keywords:

• Alternative fuels
• Global infrastructure
• Environmental sustainability
• Transport and the environment
• Transportation policy