The 21st century will be a time of change, though this can probably be said of
any century since the invention of the calendar. We can, however, make a pretty
safe assumption about what one of those changes will be: The 21st century will
see the end of the widespread use of fossil fuels.
Actually, this is an easy guess. Fossil fuels, such as coal and petroleum , are
the remains of prehistoric organisms buried beneath the earth's surface millions
of years ago -- and they're in limited supply. Eventually the reserves of these
fuels will give out. When this happens -- and preferably long before this
happens -- it's important that we find new ways to power our technology. In
particular, vehicles that currently use internal combustion engines to burn
gasoline or diesel fuel will need to run off new fuels that are less scarce and
burn cleaner, reducing or even eliminating pollution.
One of the most promising new fuels is hydrogen, the first element in the
periodic table. The term hydrogen economy was coined in 1970 by chemist John
Bockris to refer to a future in which all vehicles would be fueled by hydrogen.
There are a number of advantages to a hydrogen economy. For one, it wouldn't
require burning increasingly scarce petroleum reserves to power our vehicles. A
hydrogen internal combustion engine would be pollution-free and wouldn't create
the carbon emissions associated with gasoline-powered internal combustion
engines.
Aside from internal
combustion-powered vehicles, hydrogen can also be used to power a
vehicle through a device called a fuel cell. A fuel cell separates the single
electron in a hydrogen atom from the single proton and uses the electrons to
produce a stream of electricity . This electricity can then power the motor in
an electric vehicle. Fuel cells don't use fossil fuels and they don't produce
pollution, so they would seem to be an ideal successor to internal combustion
engine as the energy source for the cars of the 21st century. At least one
hydrogen fuel cell car, the Honda FCX Clarity, is already available for lease
in certain parts of California.
But are hydrogen fuel cell vehicles too good to be true? Let's look at some of
the chemical dangers that might be associated with hydrogen energy.
Estonia, Tallin
Rwanda, Kigali,
Alabama, USA
Jordan, Amman,
Mandurah, Victoria
Sweden, Stockholm
Fort Collins, Colorado
Jackson, Mississippi
Turkmenistan, Ashgabat
Hervey Bay, Queensland