What are alternative fuels and why are they important?
While the definition of alternative fuels can vary, it generally refers to energy sources other than the traditional petroleum ones such as gasoline and diesel fuel. Alternative fuel sources can offer many benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or other pollutants. Compressed natural gas (CNG) is an environmental alternative to fossil fuels, mainly consisting of compressed methane (CH4) gas. CNG should not be confused with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is a mixture of petroleum and natural gases. The advantage of CNG over LPG is that it does not require expensive cooling processes and cryogenic tanks. However, CNG does require a larger volume to store the same mass of gasoline, as well as the use of very high pressures. Biodiesel is a non-petroleum based diesel fuel produced from local, renewable resources. Using a process called transesterification, vegetable oils, waste cooking oils or animal fats are converted into biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel can be used in
