Lotus Rental Car Proposal
Alternative Fuel Vehicles
COMM/215
Oct 6, 2014
SHEILA BASSOPPO-MOYO
Alternative Fuel Vehicles
The Burdon of Transportation: Air Pollution and Global Warming With so many new drivers hitting the roads every year, it becomes increasingly more important to consider our environment and the impacts we make. Air pollution in the United States comes from many types of engines, industries, and commercial operations. Pollution sources that move are known as "mobile sources." These sources include vehicles, engines, and motorized equipment that produce exhaust and evaporative emissions (Office of Transportation and Air Quality, 2012). The major concern about air pollution is global warming. This is when gases like carbon dioxide, found in vehicle exhaust, get trapped in the atmosphere and cause our planet to retain more heat from the Sun than normal. Global warming endangers our health, jeopardizes our national security, and threatens other basic human needs. Some impacts, such as record high temperatures, rising seas, and severe flooding and droughts, are already increasingly common (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014). In order to combat air pollution, several alternative fuel vehicles have been invented, however, these new technologies come at a high price for consumers. Consumers that could afford such vehicles are used to conventional fuel, and are unwilling to purchase a clean solution. As a society, we need a way to introduce a clean future, a way to let all drivers experience operating an alternative fuel vehicle with little cost or risk.
The Rental Car Industry: Proposed Solution The rental car industry fulfills a huge need for society. When traveling long distances, moving your home, or when you need a vehicle after your own was damaged in an accident, rental car companies provide a solution. One additional service can be provided by this industry, that can and will make a difference for our future. In introducing clean
COMM/215
Oct 6, 2014
SHEILA BASSOPPO-MOYO
Alternative Fuel Vehicles
The Burdon of Transportation: Air Pollution and Global Warming With so many new drivers hitting the roads every year, it becomes increasingly more important to consider our environment and the impacts we make. Air pollution in the United States comes from many types of engines, industries, and commercial operations. Pollution sources that move are known as "mobile sources." These sources include vehicles, engines, and motorized equipment that produce exhaust and evaporative emissions (Office of Transportation and Air Quality, 2012). The major concern about air pollution is global warming. This is when gases like carbon dioxide, found in vehicle exhaust, get trapped in the atmosphere and cause our planet to retain more heat from the Sun than normal. Global warming endangers our health, jeopardizes our national security, and threatens other basic human needs. Some impacts, such as record high temperatures, rising seas, and severe flooding and droughts, are already increasingly common (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014). In order to combat air pollution, several alternative fuel vehicles have been invented, however, these new technologies come at a high price for consumers. Consumers that could afford such vehicles are used to conventional fuel, and are unwilling to purchase a clean solution. As a society, we need a way to introduce a clean future, a way to let all drivers experience operating an alternative fuel vehicle with little cost or risk.
The Rental Car Industry: Proposed Solution The rental car industry fulfills a huge need for society. When traveling long distances, moving your home, or when you need a vehicle after your own was damaged in an accident, rental car companies provide a solution. One additional service can be provided by this industry, that can and will make a difference for our future. In introducing clean
References: Office of Transportation and Air Quality. (2012, November). Emission Standards Reference Guide. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/otaq/standards/basicinfo.htm Union of Concerned Scientists. (2014, January). Car Emissions and Global Warming. Retrieved from http://www.ucsusa.org/our-work/clean-vehicles/car-emissions-and-global-warming#.VCH2aPldXzI Alternative Fuel Station Locator. (2013, March 11). Retrieved from http://www.afdc.engergy.gov/locator/stations U.S. Department of Energy. (2013, March 11). Alternative Fuels Data Center. Retrieved from http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/ U.S. Department of Energy. (2013, March 11). Rightsizing Your Vehicle Fleet to Conserve Fuel. Retrieved from http://afdc.energy.gov/conserve/rightsizing.html U.S. Government Printing Office. (2013, March 11). Federal Digital System. Retrieved from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ www.fueleconomy.gov. (2013, March 8). Electric Vehicles (EVs). Retrieved from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evtech/shtml Consumer Report. (2009, March). Retrieved from http://http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2011/05/pros-and-cons-a-reality-check-on- alternative-fuels/index.htm West, Brian H., Alberto J. Lopez, Timothy J. Theiss, Ronald L. Graves, John M. Storey, and Samuel A. Lewis. 2007. Fuel Economy and Emissions of the Ethanol-Optimized Saab 9- 5 Biopower. SAE Technical Paper 2007-01-3994. (Placeholder1)