Almost
all of the cars and trucks we drive run on fuels derived from
oil. Oil is a non-renewable resource, and while there is some
debate as to how long this resource will last, we will eventually
have to find new ways to power highway vehicles.
Researchers are hard at work exploring new fuels
and vehicle technologies. Hydrogen
and fuel cells are areas of intense research. Hydrogen
is clean, versatile, and can be produced from a wide variety
of domestic resources, including renewables.
Other fossil fuels such as coal, shale oil,
tar sands, and natural gas are another possibility, as are
fuels derived from biomass, such as biodiesel.
In
the meantime, it makes sense to use fossil resources such
as oil more efficiently to buy time to develop new and better
energy sources and to make the transition to these sources
smoother and less expensive.
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