Hype About Hydrogen

By Joseph J. Romm, 2004

This subject was a stretch for the Bigger Brain. We are not used to numbers and technological geeky stuff. This is also a confusing subject because there is too much information, too many methods of making hydrogen and fuel cell cars have so far to go before they are viable, if ever. The book forces the reader to study all the options in order to begin to know what is important even though Romm is trying to tell us. He's just trying to tell us everything.

It is easy to see why the public is so easily duped on this one. The questions to ask are:
1) How is the hydrogen made and at what cost?
2) Who will pay for the infrastructure?
3) Will fuel cell cars ever be affordable and therefore commerically viable when hybrid solutions are so much more feasible?

Hydrogen takes four times more energy to make from water for use in a fuel cell car than is used in an electric car for equivalent number of miles. Not counting the energy needed to keep it under pressure and to transport it to fueling stations. More emissions created to make hydrogen using current electical grid than if we just used gasoline. Unlilke Iceland we will likely never have more renewable energy than we know what to do with. Best use of hydrogen fuel cells would be for stationary application to power buildings.