Alternative Transportation

Introduction

Although petroleum supplies are in significant demand across the world, that famous fuel derived from petrol -- gasoline -- still powers a majority of the automobiles on the road today. Higher emission standards and cleaner-burning engines are making today's combustion engines better than in the past, but the use of gasoline as auto fuel is still a major cause of air pollution in the United States.

Are there viable options to that gasoline-powered automobile in your driveway? There certainly are! Besides flexible-fuel vehicles, electric cars, and biodiesel fuel, there are plenty of other ways people can reduce their transportation impact on the environment. Many times, it just takes a little planning ahead to make an automobile trip more efficient. In addition, thinking "outside the car" might have some healthful benefits as well.

No Vehicle? Mass transit, car-sharing, and good old-fashioned walking allow many urbanites freedom from cars.

Terms to Know

Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV) - Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, has the chemical formula C₂H₅OH. While most familiar as the form of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, ethanol also makes an effective motor fuel. Most ethanol used for fuel is being blended into gasoline at concentrations of five to 10 percent, which can be used by any standard automobile. Today, there is a growing market for E85 fuel (85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) for use in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), several million of which have been produced by U.S. automakers.

Fuel Cell Vehicles - Hydrogen is the most plentiful element on Earth. Utilizing fuel cell technology, automobiles can be powered by this simple and light gas. Fuel cells generate electricity from a catalyst-facilitated chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen ions in a cell. Several cells combined make up a fuel cell stack.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicles - Compressed natural gas, or CNG, is natural gas under pressure which remains clear, odorless, and non-corrosive. Vehicles can use natural gas as either a liquid or a gas; however, most use the gaseous form. CNG vehicles have been introduced in a wide variety of commercial applications, from light-duty trucks and sedans to heavy-duty vehicles like transit buses, street sweepers and school buses.

Electric Vehicles (EV) - In an EV, batteries are typically used to store the electricity that powers the electric motor(s) in the vehicle. The batteries must be recharged by plugging into a power source. Some Evs have on-board chargers. Others need to be plugged into an external charger. An EV is a zero emission vehicle and its motor produces no tailpipe exhaust emissions.

Biodiesel Vehicles - Biodiesel is an alternative fuel produced from renewable resources, such as soybeans or used restaurant grease. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in diesel engines with no major modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

Human Powered Vehicles - Once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget! There are a variety of human powered vehicles available today, including recumbent bikes, three and four-wheelers, and the standard 10-speed. Many cities are implementing bike lanes along major roads and interior streets, making the choice to ride instead of drive even easier.

Classroom Ideas

Guest Speakers

1. Invite a guest speaker from a local car dealership to your classroom to talk about energy efficient automobiles, such as hybrids.

    Sample Academic Standards Addressed:

        Science Education H.12.4: Advocate a solution or combination of solutions to a problem in science or technology

         Environmental Education D.12.1: Identify a variety of approaches to environmental issues, evaluate the consequences of each, and select and defend a position

Click here to find contacts for guest speakers in your area.

Field Trips
Click here to find field trip ideas in your area.

Activities and Lessons

1. Try out the KEEP activity "Corn in Your Car" to explore ethanol production and use in the community. This activity is conveniently located on the KEEP Web site - just click here.

    Sample Academic Standards Addressed:

        Technology Education A.12.4: Explore the way human adaptive technological systems interact with ideological and sociological systems

         Social Studies D.12.10: Analyze the ways in which supply and demand, competition, prices, incentives, and profits influence what is produced and distributed in in a competitive market

2. The "Going Places, Making Choices" curriculum was developed by the National 4-H Council to raise the awareness of high school age youth about transportation, personal mobility choices now and in the future, and how those choices impact the environment.

Learn more about this innovative package and download materials.

www.4hgpmc.com

    Sample Academic Standards Addressed:

        Social Studies B.12.9: Select significant changes caused by technology, industrialization, urbanization, and population growth, and analyze the effects of these changes in the United States and the world

         Environmental Education A.12.1: Identify questions that require skilled investigation to solve current problems cited in literature, media, or observed through persistent observations

         Language Arts F.12.1:  . . . Organize research materials and data, maintaining a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrase, and quoted material

Student Projects

1. Participate in Wisconsin's Electrathon! This project involves students in designing, building, and racing an electric vehicle. Visit their Web site to learn more: www.ecw.org/wielectrathon/

    Sample Academic Standards Addressed:

        Technology Education C.12.6: Design and/or create solutions that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, demonstrate quality, have greater value than the investment, and meet a societal need or want.

2. Students right here in Wisconsin helped develop the award-winning Easy Breathers program, which features interactive pages for students and a teacher's guide. You have to dig a little to find the section on alternative vehicles and fuels, but you'll find lots of other cool information along the way!

www.easybreathers.org

    Sample Academic Standards Addressed:

        Information and Technology Literacy A.12.5: Use media and technology to create and present information

        Agriculture Education E.12.3: Explain the impact of climate change on existing agricultural systems

3. Organize a walking school bus! Check out these resources for more information about the walking school bus phenomenon.

www.walkingschoolbus.org

www.walkingbus.org

www.goforgreen.ca/asrts/pdf/WSB-booklet-e.pdf

    Sample Academic Standards Addressed:

        Social Studies H.12.2: Evaluate proposed policy recommendations (local, state, and/or national) in science and technology or validity, evidence, reasoning, and implications, both short and long-term

         Mathematics D.12.1: Identify, describe, and use derived attributes (e.g., density, speed, acceleration, pressure) to represent and solve problem situations

4. Involve students in an Energy Issue Investigation and Action Project related to alternative vehicles.

5. Have students make a Science Fair presentation about their research into alternative vehicles. 

Support Materials

Web sites

The California Energy Commission has a variety of online resources dedicated to alternative fuels and high efficiency transportation.

www.energy.ca.gov/afvs

Global Stewards is an organization dedicated to providing quality resources for sustainable living, including transportation options.

www.globalstewards.org/town.htm

The objective of EV World is to provide a human face to the topic of sustainable transportation.

www.evworld.com

The Union of Concerned Scientists maintains an extensive Web site exploring all facets of alternative transportation.

www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles

"Transportation Alternatives" magazine, published by Transportation Alternatives, an organization founded in 1973 during the explosion of environmental consciousness that also produced the Clean Air and Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency. Request a sample copy and read archived articles here: www.transalt.org/press/magazine/index.html