Fuel for the future; Hydrogen

In “BMW’s hydrogen-powered ride to a green utopia,” the author introduces the fact that BMW is putting out the hydrogen fuel vehicles that show the vision of hydrogen fuel vehicles for a better future. People already recognize problems about using oil fuel for example; exhaustion of natural resource, air pollution, ozone depletion, and lack of fuel energy. So several countries and auto companies are dealing with alternative energy like hydrogen for vehicles. The author points out that hydrogen fuel vehicles still have a problem about running distance, because not every country has enough available stations for hydrogen fuel. However, hydrogen vehicles have a large benefit such as no pollution, abundant amount, and ease of use. The author includes the idea that stable infrastructure of hydrogen energy might be increasing advantage in our social future.

The article shows advanced vehicles with hydrogen fuel, which is good news to drivers. I enjoyed this article, and agree that hydrogen energy is good instead of oil energy. Also, I insist on the profits of hydrogen energy, which are that hydrogen energy is green energy, that it is enough energy, and that it can be changed into cheap energy.

The hydrogen is a clean power source. A vehicle using hydrogen, gets its fuel with the electrolysis method, which splits hydrogen from water. Its result would be emission-free. In fact, the only byproduct is water while the vehicles are using hydrogen with the electrolysis process. On the other hand, hydrogen is extracted from biomass by the steam reforming method. Its result would be a few greenhouse gas emissions that are linked with global warming. However, even if the steam reforming method causes some global warming, it is less harmful than burning oil. For example, burning oil during the drive makes carbon dioxide emissions; this is a primary factor in global warming. Therefore, hydrogen is green energy, it should be used to make an environmental utopia.

Hydrogen is a plentiful energy. Usually hydrogen is combined with oxygen; it is water with H2O form. For example, water is plentiful enough renewable resource in earth. If some other resources must be depleted, such as gasoline, natural gas, ethanol, or coal, water can be kept by natural environmental circulation. Also, the earth’s crust contains the element hydrogen, and all growing things include hydrogen with biomass. For example, restricted regional oil energy is insignificant compared to geothermal energy. Therefore, hydrogen is found not only in water but also on land. This is an abundant resource so people can use enough amounts with fuel energy for their vehicles anywhere.

The hydrogen will be changed economical energy. Since hydrogen energy is going to become zero-emission, people who use hydrogen energy for their vehicles don’t require environmental tax about pollution. For example, recently lots of countries include emission tax for environment when merchants sell oil at a station. Also, when each country provides stable infrastructure for hydrogen vehicles, hydrogen energy will be cheaper than now. For example, GMW’s Hydrogen 7 has two fuel tanks, one for hydrogen and one for regular gasoline, because often we are not near a hydrogen fuelling station (Bettencourt, 2006). It causes expensive prices of hydrogen energy and vehicles. Therefore, hydrogen is potential energy, which should contribute to effective energy to for a better future.

In conclusion, the hydrogen energy is gift for people, because hydrogen is clean, plentiful enough, and cheap energy as it is used in vehicles. Hydrogen is not widely used today but it has great potential as an energy carrier in the future. People should change hydrogen fuel vehicles from oil energy; if they do, their try can overcome energy crisis problems.

Reference:

Bettencourt, M. (2006, November 16). BMW’s hydrogen-powered ride to a green utopia. The Global and Mail (Canada).
Retrieved on July 7, 2008, from Lexis Nexis database.