The indomitable American spirit is in the process of a renewal. Again, we must rely on the ingenuity that has propelled the past 200 years of innovation to end our dependence on oil; both foreign and domestic. It seems this struggle has just cropped up in the last decade, however, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has released studies of alternative fuels dating back to the late ‘80s. These studies were an attempt to reach the goals set forth by The Clean Air Act and its subsequent revisions. Though this search has been underway for the past quarter century, it is undeniably now experiencing a renaissance. The renewed drive to find cleaner energy sources has found a fitting direction along another great American innovation, Route 66. This highway was the first to stretch from Chicago to Los Angeles, famously connecting the Midwest to the coast. Although the highway was decertified by the Interstate Highway Act of 1956, and totally decommissioned in 1985, it lives on in our hearts and minds as homage to the expansion of America and our collective sense of adventure.
A recent article in Urban Tulsa outlined the coupling of the revitalization of the road with the expansion of alternative fuels. The article, written by Mike Easterling, covers the efforts of two men and their “drive to inspire”. Mark McConville, along with his friend Keith Barfield, has converted a 1966 Pontiac GTO to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which is a forerunner in the race to find good alternative fuels. This summer they are planning to take the great American road trip, along Route 66 from Santa Monica, CA to Chicago, IL, using only CNG. While this expedition is exciting, the article also touched on a project that is bound to have more a more prolific effect on the future of alternative fuels and road tips, as we know them.
This project, “The Alternative Energy Roadway: Green Choice 66 & The Route 66 Linear Experience,” is now a collaborative effort between the concept developer, Albert “Albee” Thomas, and his corporate backer, Americana Fuel Centers. The plan is to create an infrastructure that supports alternative fuel vehicles, and is ideologically bolstered by the Tulsa based Route 66 Alliance. These stations will provide refueling points for automobiles using electric, CNG, and B-20/E-85/E-10, which are regional biofuels and biodiesel. Even the stations themselves, which are planned to feature restaurants, gift shops and interactive Route 66 exhibits, will be self-sustainable. They plan to support the stations with solar and wind energy sources. Thomas and his collaborator hope to have these stations operational by August 2011.
Oklahoma is one of the leaders in the hunt for alternative fuels especially Natural Gas and the restoration of Route 66. Tulsa already touts a number of CNG fueling stations and Tulsans recently approved the Vision 2025 bill, which appropriated about 15 million taxpayer dollars to build a Route 66 flag plaza. Oklahoma born T. Boone Pickens is a huge proponent of the expansion of natural gas. Pickens, praised for his philanthropic endeavors, believes that natural gas is the most immediate solution to our dependence on foreign oil. Figures available on his Website estimate the domestic supply to be enough to power the country through the next 100 years. The EPA does recognize that natural gas is a cleaner source of energy approximating that “compared to the average air emissions from coal-fired generation, natural gas produces half as much carbon dioxide, less than a third as much nitrogen oxides, and one percent as much sulfur oxides at the power plant.” However, the agency also notes the process of extraction, treatment, and transport of the natural gas to the power plant generates additional emissions. Still yet, the EPA agrees that, especially in automobiles, CNG is a big step on the road to cleaner air.
It may now be more crucial than ever to end our dependence on oil. As of June, British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon well was still pumping millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil is invading and destroying delicate oceanic and coastal ecosystems. If we continue to consume oil at the current unprecedented rate, more catastrophes of this type seem inevitable.
Even if you are not able to convert to an alternatively fueled vehicle today, there are many way you can reduce your use of gas and oil when it comes to your car. The experts at www.greencars.org recommend you avoid aggressive driving which “not only wastes gas, it leads to drastically higher pollution rates.” They also encourage you stick to the speed limit or below explaining that “Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your fuel economy by about 10 percent, and can dramatically increase tailpipe pollution in many vehicles.” They also advise that combining short trips, avoiding sitting in rush hour traffic, and lightening your load can all help reduce your carbon footprint. The Website notes, “Carrying around an extra 100 pounds reduces fuel economy by about one percent.” Especially in the summer months, running the air conditioner in our homes and cars can be a huge drain on energy. The website offers another tip: “Try using the vents and opening windows to cool off before you turn on the air conditioner. Air conditioner use increases fuel consumption, increases nitrogen oxide emissions in some vehicles, and involves environmentally damaging fluids.”
For information on converting vehicles to CNG or learn more about the environmental impact of various sources of energy you can visit www.EPA .gov. If you want to follow the “Drive to Inspire,” which kicked off June 26, go to www.route66goatgas.com. To learn more about the Pickens Plan visit their website at www.pickensplan.com.
The American ingenuity that saw us through the industrial revolution, the Cold and World Wars, and the evolution of the computer is once again being tested in the current energy crisis. It is important to understand that each of us can make small, but meaningful contributions that will result in great strides to saving our planet and world economies. After all, it would not be that first time a small step for man became a giant leap for mankind.