| There are only 2 ways to reduce our dependency on | | | | because it does not need to heat up very much in |
| foreign oil, increase our own production or decrease | | | | order to run. The PEM fuel cell is compact and |
| our demand. However the most promising route is to | | | | lightweight: a big advantage for cars. Furthermore, its |
| create alternative sources of energy, a source that is | | | | maximum efficiency of 60% (energy delivered from |
| readily available in the United States, hydrogen. | | | | hydrogen to motor as electricity) is about 3 times |
| Hydrogen is plentiful, more effective at storing energy | | | | greater than the efficiency of internal combustion |
| than batteries, burns twice as effectively in a fuel cell | | | | engines (most of the energy from combustion is lost in |
| than gasoline, and leaves only water in it's wake, not | | | | heat and friction before it even pushes down on the |
| chemicals. | | | | pistons). |
| Cars give off "carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, | | | | The range of fuel-cell-powered vehicles is not limited |
| hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide," and contribute to | | | | by batteries, but by the amount of fuel in the storage |
| "urban smog, rural air pollution, acid rain, and the buildup | | | | tank. Recent developments in hydrogen storage |
| of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere" (Nadis and | | | | technology have come up with "carbon-adsorption" |
| Mackenzie 14). We need our cars, but we also need to | | | | systems. These are refrigerated and pressurized |
| reduce the pollution. The only way to completely | | | | tanks that can store massive amounts of hydrogen. |
| escape this pollution is by using electric motors (Begley | | | | Calculations estimate that over 7 gallons of hydrogen |
| and Hager 108). Vehicles using electric motors are | | | | could be stored in a single gram of this new material. |
| completely emission-free and generally get their | | | | This allows a range of nearly 5,000 miles from a single |
| electricity from batteries, the sun, or hydrogen fuel cells. | | | | tank!. These tanks would weigh less than 200 pounds, |
| Hydrogen is consumed by a pollution-free chemical | | | | occupy about half the amount of space used by |
| reaction--not combustion--in a fuel cell. The fuel cell | | | | current gasoline tanks (H&FCL), and could be |
| simply combines hydrogen and oxygen chemically to | | | | refueled in 4-5 minutes (Mac Kenzie 75) |
| produce electricity, water, and waste heat (MacKenzie | | | | Hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered cars are the best |
| 62-3). Nothing else. And hydrogen is the most | | | | alternatives to polluting, gasoline-powered cars for |
| abundant element in the universe, constituting about | | | | several reasons: (1) the cars are completely |
| 93% of all atoms. "It is found in water, fossil fuels, and | | | | emission-free, (2) the fuel cells have no moving parts, |
| all plants and animals. What better replacement for | | | | (3) hydrogen is renewable and abundant, (4) the cars |
| finite, nonrenewable gasoline? Hydrogen has often | | | | are compatible with cold weather, (5) the fuel cells are |
| been called the perfect fuel. Its major reserve on earth | | | | compact and lightweight--not overly bulky or heavy, (6) |
| (water) is inexhaustible. The use of hydrogen is | | | | the cars are about 3 times as efficient as |
| compatible with nature. We will never run out of | | | | gasoline-powered cars, (7) the cars will have incredible |
| hydrogen. | | | | mile ranges, (8) the tanks will be refueled quickly, and |
| Ford says hydrogen powered vehicles might reach | | | | (9) hydrogen is safe, has been tested rigorously for |
| American showrooms in five years. There are several | | | | use in vehicles, and is being used in many vehicles |
| types of fuel cells, but the one most suited for cars is | | | | already. |
| called the proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. | | | | Buying these emission-free vehicles is the best way to |
| Some of its main features are its ability to start quickly | | | | reduce the pollution without giving up our cars. |
| and to run at moderate temperatures, which will help | | | | |