The future of alternative fuels
In Seattle you are just as likely to see a Toyota Prius at a red light than a SUV. Which is somewhat surprising because this is one of the few locales where people can actually be justified in owning a four-wheeler in all good conscience, due to the weather and the outdoor activities that are so readily available. In the movie Singles a theme that arises a few times is the fact that Seattleites love both their coffee and their cars.
This fact has accounted for a massive increase in traffic buildup and the lack of any type of mass transit system being built. And yet this town is socially conscience and makes a concerted effort to lessen its impact on the environment. Case in point its bio-diesel production has increased from barely a thousand gallons some four years ago to over a million gallons today. Biodiesel is now used by governments to run ferries and buses and by several thousand Puget Sound drivers.
On the other hand no matter how much progress is made on the alternative fuel front, in regards to Hydrogen, one question is asked above all others. Is it safe? A question that doesn’t have a simple yes or no answer and that is disconcerting for some.
Some seven decades after the May 1937 explosion of the Hindenburg halted the development of hydrogen as a fuel, the shocking images still resonate to this day. The now infamous words heard on the live radio broadcast of “oh the humanity” now take on a different meaning as the increase of hothouse gases are having a direct affect on humanity as a whole.
Proponents of the alternate fuel point to the fact that Hydrogen is clean, non-toxic, is less flammable than gasoline, and disperses quickly in the atmosphere. And yet Hydrogen is still a highly explosive gas, which can cause massive destruction. Some worry that cars filled with this fuel could wreak untold damage in high speed accidents.
Whatever the arguments for or against, it is up to all of us to decide that technological advancements can make our lives better not only for ourselves but our children as well. This will require both awareness and intelligent use no matter where you live.