Reply #46: Subtext: Bush Touts Hydrogen To Extend Status Quo

[Vogon_Glory]

I think that it's becoming clear even to former English majors like yours truly that Dear Leader's touting of hydrogen as an alternate energy source is a smokescreen for extending the use of fossil fuels as the chief source of energy supply here in the US. Even though the cost for fuel cells is beginning to decline, manufacturing, storing, and shipping hydrogen is expensive and there are lots of bugs yet to be worked out. About fifteen years out, say the pundits, and I remember that's at least as long as many of those same pundits said that hydrogen fusion would be practical, too.

Personally, I think touting hydrogen means touting an expensive, glitch-ridden technology that would insure that fossil fuels and internal combustion motors would be the status quo for years to come.

If this country was smart (We aren't; our fellow citizens voted for Gee Dubya twice and have been electing Republican majorities since 1994), we would be working on fuel cells that use carbohydrates like alcohols and sugars, which would be more energy-efficient and less-polluting. We would be ramping up production of hybrid cars. We would be working on much better batteries and ways to make solar panels far, far cheaper.

:argh: