4. Alternative Fuel: Russia’s Strides (1800 р.С.)

Strictly speaking, it is not money that makes the world go round, but energy. Ask any of the eight world leaders about the toughest issue they’ve got to tackle, and will almost certainly answer: car fuel, electricity, heat and industrial power.

Worldwide, high oil prices and global warm ing are pushing the issue of sustainability from the back burner to full heat. Russia, as the G8 member with the biggest reserves of oil and gas, is on the spot. Problem is the abundance of oil and gas that are keeping the development of alternative and renewable fuel from becoming a national priority. But that doesn’t mean that people in Russia aren’t look ing for other ways to make their engines run.

Two years ago, one of Russia’s economic experts gave a forecast. «The possible replacement of oil and gas with other energy resources in Russia is not a question of the next few days or years because Russia has huge hydrocarbon reserves and they are relatively cheap. Some day, potentially, «innovational» energy resources can account for a lot more than 7 percent of consumed energy. In some regions use of non-traditional energy sources might reach as much as 30 percent by 2030».

In Russia there are businesses that opt for renewable energy sources, but they are not major businesses. Current energy legislation keeps the major players from changing over to «non-traditional» sources. But there is an abundance of small businesses that offer, for instance, solar panels that people can buy for their homes. On a small, non-centralized scale, there is some visible effort. The Moscow city gov ernment, for instance, is funding an experiment in using solar panels to heat homes. Another experimental project is the «green office,» where employers are encouraged to adopt conservation strategies in the workplace. Last year, meanwhile the chief of the Onexim investment fund, announced plans for the Hydrogen Partnership – an effort to build a car park that would run on hydrogen in the Far East.

148

The scientists are at the forefront of searching for other sources of energy besides oil. Earlier, for instance, researchers at the Institute of Microbiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences made a startling dis covery: a rare microorganism that pro duces hydrogen by breaking down cellulose. The result? The U.S. Department of Energy Institute will continue researching the organism. Indeed, hydrogen could be a source of alternative energy. But there are two problems: it is highly combustible and difficult to contain conveniently in a car tank, and extreme ly costly to make. Hence the interest in an organ ism that can give out hydrogen essentially by feeding on wood. The higher the price for oil, the more interest there is in alternative fuel. The more interest there is, the more chances that our technologies will be applied. The problem is that while there might be great potential demand, the real demand is not dependable.

There is one factor that could seriously affect demand for alternative fuel in Russia: energy costs, something that is forecasted to hap pen within the next few years. The pressures of cost will drive the need for new sources of fuel.

Notes:

to make smb. do smth. — hydrocarbon — углеводород

заставлять кого-то делать что-то to opt — выбирать

tough — трудный hydrogen — водород

renewable — возобновляемый combustible — горючий

to look for — искать dependable — надежный