I’m Prepared to be Startled

The AP reports that President Bush said during a speech on energy policy,

“Our nation is on the threshold of new energy technology that I think will startle the American people,” Bush said. “We're on the edge of some amazing breakthroughs — breakthroughs all aimed at enhancing our national security and our economic security and the quality of life of the folks who live here in the United States.”

Two of the breakthroughs President Bush highlighted are smaller and longer-lasting batteries for gas/electric hybrid cars, and cellulosic ethanol which is made from wood chips.

It is definitely time to rid ourselves of our oil addiction. There should be no debate on that. We cannot continue to buy oil from people who want to kill us, and we will not be able to produce enough oil here to satisfy our hunger. This leaves only one option: use our superior technology to cleanse ourselves of our addiction and leave our so-called Arab allies in the cold.

However, I would like to see the President focus more on fuel cells. Gas/electric hybrids are not the answer to our problems because they still require gasoline. Ethanol will never be able to satisfy our energy needs without cutting into our food supply (ethanol is made from corn) even if we diversify our sources with cellulosic ethanol. There is also one BIG problem: it may take more energy to make ethanol than we can get out of it. This is called a “negative net energy balance,” and while it is debatable if ethanol actually does have a negative net energy balance it is clear that the cost of production is very high.

Fuel cells run on hydrogen and oxygen, and both are very abundant. However, it must be noted that fuel cells do not produce energy, they release stored energy. While hydrogen is the simplest, and therefore most abundant, element in the universe, most of Earth’s supply is in the form of water and hydrocarbons (such as oil). We must find some way to release the hydrogen. Using oil as a source is obviously out of the question, so we are left with water. Fortunately, the hydrogen can be released through electrolysis. When an electrical current is passed through water, the water molecules are separated into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.

In a hypothetical system, the electricity needed for electrolysis can be produced through solar or wind power (preferably wind). The hydrogen is then bottled and used in the fuel cell of your car. The fuel cell strips the hydrogen of its electron, which is then used to power the vehicle. The electron returns to the fuel cell and is reunited with the hydrogen ion. The hydrogen then bonds with oxygen to create water which is released through the tailpipe. This process is truly non-polluting. You begin with water, and end with water. Your car runs on solar, wind, or whatever energy source is used in electrolysis.

This system would require a huge investment in infrastructure development. If the government is going to fund research into alternative fuels, we believe this deserves some looking into since the other alternatives appear to be dead ends.

–J.E. Heath
per-fidem.org

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