Originally published April 2 2005
Bush has critics on both sides of hydrogen development issue
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
President Bush's initiative to produce a non-polluting, hydrogen-powered car is moving ahead and the technology that would make it a viable transportation option is coming closer to reality. But there are critics on both sides of the issue, as many are saying Bush should spend more on controlling gas mileage in cars, while other complain that the $360 million earmarked for hydrogen projects is being wasted on the pet projects of several Congressmen.
The soaring price of gasoline is giving new momentum to President Bush's dream of a non-polluting "FreedomCAR" powered by hydrogen, the most common element in the universe.
Twenty years from now, if scientists and engineers can make the dream come true, motorists should be able to drive to a nearby hydrogen service station, fill their tanks and travel as far as 300 miles without a refill.
The only byproducts of the hydrogen fuel would be oxygen and pure water - no noxious, smog-causing, global-warming exhaust.
But the cost of delivering a hydrogen-powered car to market is a major obstacle, as is the cost of converting tens of thousands of service stations from gasoline to hydrogen.
The higher the cost of gasoline, however, the more competitive hydrogen will be, said Thomas Sheahen, an analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Washington office.
Tougher auto mileage standards, improvements in automobile efficiency or more widespread use of hybrid cars could help offset higher gas prices, though.
They include how to produce, store and distribute the flammable gas safely and efficiently; how to design and manufacture hydrogen-burning fuel cells made of novel materials, and how to build hydrogen cars that people can afford and will want to buy.
Energy companies and auto manufacturers have agreed to provide 134 hydrogen fuel cell demonstration vehicles and 28 hydrogen service stations this year.
Despite the federal budget squeeze, the president has asked Congress for a substantial increase _from $310 million to $360 million - for the hydrogen program in the fiscal year 2006.
Energy Department officials told a National Academy of Sciences panel this week that congressional earmarking might cause them to miss their goal of having a hydrogen car ready for commercialization in 2015.
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