Imagine a world where the skies are darkened with smog. Your lungs are filled with smoke and it is hard to breathe.
The continuing use of automobiles that depend on fossil fuels will make this hazardous world possible if we do not start using alternative fuel sources.
Cars and trucks are responsible for much of the pollutants that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania produces, according to the PennEnvironment Web site.
Fortunately, there is a wealth of alternative fuel sources being developed and some already in the market that can help reduce the amount of pollutants we release into the atmosphere.
Hydrogen seems to be the best choice among the alternative fuel sources. Hydrogen is not only the most plentiful element on Earth, but it is renewable and does not release unwanted pollutants into the atmosphere.
According to a Jan. 11, 2008, U.S. News and World Report article, the only tailpipe emission hydrogen-powered cars release is water.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles use an electric motor that is charged by a fuel-cell stack. This stack then converts the hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, which flows into the battery.
Some people think cost will be an issue. Building the proper distribution centers and storage facilities for hydrogen-powered vehicles will cost billions of dollars.
Many of those same people believe that biofuels such as ethanol would be a better solution because they can be made from everyday crops such as corn and are very easy to make. Unlike oil ethanol, they are a renewable resource.
Ethanol-powered cars work similarly to gasoline-powered cars. When your car needs to be refilled, you go to a pump at a fueling station and put the ethanol into the car.
According to a Jan. 11, 2008, U.S. News and World Report article, burning ethanol can cut greenhouse-gas emissions by about 20 percent.
Using everyday crops as fuel sources is a concern for some. It is very likely that the cost of crops will go up due to increase in demand.
The world's food supply would also run out at a faster rate. Food should not be used to fuel cars; it should be used to feed the starving people in the world.
Hydrogen fuel offers little harm to the atmosphere and does not impact the world's food supply.
There is no denying that building fueling centers and storage facilities will be costly to consumers.
However, over time, the cost of hydrogen fuel cells will be about $2 per gallon.
Money also would have to be spent to build ethanol fueling centers and storage facilities. There are no ethanol fueling centers in highly populated areas.
The fuel cell engines that hydrogen-powered vehicles use are also more efficient than gas engines, giving consumers better mileage. Ethanol contains less energy than gasoline, providing consumers with less mileage.
Hydrogen and ethanol-powered vehicles both offer positives and negatives, as to whether they are effective substitutes for gasoline.
As mentioned, hydrogen is the most plentiful element on Earth, and water is the only tailpipe emission hydrogen-powered vehicles give off.
Ethanol runs off corn, which is plentiful in the United States, so more of it can always be found or grown.
Hydrogen and ethanol-powered cars both will cost less at the pump than gasoline.
Hydrogen appears to be the best choice of alternative fuels. It is not only the most plentiful source on Earth, but it also the cleanest fuel source.
Once the technology improves and it becomes widely available, it will be the fuel of choice, because not only would it make a statement about caring for the environment, but it would provide you with more mileage to go where you want.
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