EU and US energy chiefs have agreed to aim for “pollution free” hydrogen future.
Naturally, some folks pointed out the obvious: production of hydrogen has to be included in the “pollution” count. Hydrogen is made with either Nuclear or “Fossil Fuel” factories. So, they smoke or radiate, so you can drive clean.
It’s still a good idea for long term, as the factories may be able to meet better emission standards. But not likely.
Posted by petergun at June 17, 2003 10:13 PMAlthough you are correct that in the short term hydrogen will be produced by burning fossil fuels, in the long term it can be produced by clean renewable energy sources. Hydrogen is really not a fuel but rather an ultra-efficient battery. One thing you can do with this battery is store wind, solar and geothermal energy that would otherwise be wasted (the "use it now or lose it" problem of most renewable sources). Ultimately, a "hydrogen economy" could produce very little in terms of pollutants, it's just a matter of getting the infrastructure in place. Iceland is already trying to transform itself into a hydrogen economy (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/archive/2208013.stm). More on the concept in general can be found here: http://people.howstuffworks.com/hydrogen-economy.htm
Cheers,
Dr. Wank