DaimlerChrysler is promising the release of its hydrogen-fueled cars for the market by 2012, according to this Reuters article. I'm somewhat encouraged, because for several years, some of us have been fairly begging for somebody to start getting them into the dealerships...
The article also mentions Shell Hydrogen's plans to make the fuel readily accessible as soon as there is demand for it...
That would beat biodiesel all to heck.
Of course, those of us in the grain belt have sorta been rooting for ethanol and soy diesel, among other renewable fuels, for some time, but since we could still use those substances to run the processing for separating hydrogen (instead of resorting to petroleum) for the cars, and, since most farm equipment will still not gain enough power from the proposed power cells, so they'll still have to use biodiesel or some other burnable horsepower-filling stuff, I don't see too many ways that we hicks in the sticks can lose.
And, the fun part of this is, if the world switches off petroleum for a large portion of its transportation needs...
Score one against OPEC.
One worry,though: more water siphoned off from the Colorado & Rio Grande & other western waterways to make fuel leaves farmers & the general population kinda scrod, doesn't it? Would all the US hydrogen refineries be built along the Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Columbia Rivers? Can they use salt water to make said fuel? If they use salt water, does this mean they'll destroy habitats and endanger the precious and rare Swedish Fish? and how would this affect the coastal taffy industries?
1 comment:
Generally, I would agree with you, but as long as we are still dependent upon petroleum and biodiesel for transportation, we're going to be in trouble, up north of the Mason-Dixon. You already know the drawbacks to petroleum, & they still have to find a way to keep the standard biofuels from turning thick & gummy below 0 degrees Celsius (kinda sucky when you have to start your engine in January), plus they still burn dirty-ish, no matter what.
Scientific research continues. In our lifetime alone, they've managed to clean (& make more efficient, where budget allowed) petroleum processing tremendously, & find all manner of other sources for power. I still hold out hope for this and other energy technologies.
Mostly, I have these hopes because I'm tired of OPEC holding our country's 'nads.
Gods help me, I might even support pedal-power, if it came down to it, some day.
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