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Should governments give tax credits for alternative fuel vehicles? The answer is a simple no. According to most research, the environmental effects and the costs of production do not justify using alternative fuels as a replacement for fossil fuels. Furthermore, the cost of an alternative fuel vehicle is beyond what most can afford.

Alternative fuels have come a long way since the debate for their production began at the turn of the 21st century. Ethanol is currently the most popular topic in the alternative fuel industry with National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Denmark based Novozymes creating a conversion process that has reduced production cost to less than .30 cents per gallon from a turn of the century 5 US dollars per gallon. This means in a cost per barrel comparison with oil that ethanol would be approximately 84% cheaper to produce. Who wouldn't like saving that kind of money?

However, the use of Ethanol as a replacement for oil consumption is rather uncertain. Liz Marshall, an economist with the World Resources Institute in Washington D.C. stated, "We end up seeing disproportionate increases in the amount of fertilizer applied, and disproportionate increases in the amount of nitrogen runoff. And we see increases in soil erosion because land is managed more intensively"
(http://www.earths ky.org/article/50924/liz-marsh all-interview). In this case, ethanol production may end up being more harmful to the environment and more costly down the road.

Electric vehicles look to be an efficient alternative on the surface, but it has been proven many times over that an increase in demand on electricity means higher electric bills, more wind farms, and more coal burning generator plants. Needless to say, neither the economy nor the environment stands a chance of improvement under these conditions.

Then there is hydrogen fuel cell technology that seems to have potential, but little coverage over the past few years. At one time President Bush was all about hydrogen fuel, but to here talk coming out of Washington lately, one would think it never existed. What happened? Anyone's guess is as good as mine, but it seems that hydrogen fuel cells could have just as many set backs as other technologies. One of those set backs, I am willing to say, is current water shortages in California and the Southwest. Imagine the impact on our water supply should we consume hydrogen like we consume gasoline. Not good! To find out more about the positive side of hydrogen energy, log onto http://www.alternative-energy- news.info/technology/hydrogen- fuel/, or about its setbacks at http://www.physicsforums.com/s howthread.php?t=7586.

Adding to environmental concerns are the cost factors involved in obtaining an alternative fueled vehicle. The average price of any alternative fuel car runs around 30k. Today's average working class citizen cannot afford the common 4-door sedan, much less a 30k hybrid. The only people that would benefit from a tax incentive on alternative fuel vehicles would be the wealthy, while the working class and the poor would be stuck with a steadily rising gas bill. No one said life is fair, but come on, give the working man a break.

The bottom line is, give up the car and walk or bike to work. This may be a problem for people who live a long way from where they work, or if the infrastructure does not support pedestrian or cycling traffic. So, maybe governments should do more to support adjustments in the infrastructure to allow people to use their own energy for transportation. It costs almost nothing, is great for the environment, and people would be healthier and happier which would result in lower healthcare costs. A tax incentive for alternative fuel vehicles is not an option.

Learn more about this author, Jeffrey Scott.
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