Does Hydrogen Fuel Pose Environmental Problems?
Posted: October 20, 2003 In his State of the Union speech in January 2003, President Bush laid out his hopes for the future of hydrogen fuel cell cars. “With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom, so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.” The administration pledged $1.7 billion for hydrogen research and development (R&D) over the next five years to make fuel cell cars a reality. With government funding secured, the race is on to overcome the obstacles involved in making hydrogen a viable energy source. Hydrogen fuel supporters cite its significant environmental benefits: unlike fossil fuels, hydrogen can be pollution-free and infinitely renewable through wind, solar and hydropower sources. Skeptics argue that the fuel source does have its environmental drawbacks, and are concerned about the Bush administration’s plan to extract hydrogen.
