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Most recently, Prime Minister Paul Martin got on the bandwagon when he outlined a revolutionary plan to build a "hydrogen highway" from Whistler B.C. to Vancouver in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The goal of the highway is to enable drivers using hydrogen fuel-cell cars to fill up at a network of hydrogen gas stations between the two cities. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has similar plans for a hydrogen highway in his state by 2010.
But is this hydrogen highway hope or just hype?
It's a great idea, to be sure. While conventional gasoline engines have to burn their fuel, releasing heat-trapping gases and smog-forming pollutants in the process, hydrogen fuel cells convert their fuel directly into electrical power - making them virtually pollution free. The only thing that comes out of the tailpipe is heat and water. It's hard to argue against a car like that!
But there is a catch, one that the commercials and news reports often overlook. Hydrogen doesn't come out of a hole in the ground. In fact, it doesn't exist by itself in nature at all - you have to extract it from other materials, such as water, or fossil fuels like natural gas, methanol or gasoline. That process requires lots of energy, and how you generate that energy is the crux of the issue.
To be pollution-free, hydrogen must be made using renewable energy, such as solar or wind. Otherwise, we will simply shift the pollution source from our vehicle tailpipes to smokestacks at hydrogen-production plants. And that's not exactly a blueprint for a clean, sustainable economy.
Unfortunately, there is currently very little investment in the kind of renewable energy we need to power a clean hydrogen highway. While the fossil fuel industry continues to feast on subsidies and tax incentives, the renewable energy industry is left to fight over the scraps. That needs to change now, while fuel cells are being developed, so we can have a clean source of hydrogen in the future.
Investing in clean, renewable energy also has the more immediate benefit of reducing air pollution and heat-trapping emissions right away. Scientists aren't the only ones worried about climate change anymore. It affects all of us and the impacts are already being felt around the world. Canada could position itself as a world leader on this issue by developing a bold plan to shift to a low-polluting, sustainable economy. In fact, we desperately need a plan if we are going to meet our Kyoto Protocol commitments.
Such a plan could start by mandating renewable energy requirements, improving fuel efficiency standards for new cars and investing in public transit. Citizens stand to benefit immediately from such measures through cleaner air, savings at the pump and better transportation options. These are benefits we can have today, without relying on the white knight of hydrogen in the future.
So, is a hydrogen highway hope or hype? A little of both, actually. Governments need to encourage investment in promising technologies like hydrogen fuel cells. But that's no excuse for failing to take action today. A sustainable future will not be achieved through technology alone. It requires wise policy choices on behalf of governments and informed choices by consumers.
The hydrogen highway is a great idea, but it is highly unlikely that fuel-cell cars will be commercially available by the 2010 Olympics. In the meantime, there are lots of affordable, practical things we can do immediately to reduce air pollution and climate change. We shouldn't have to wait a decade for clean air and better cars. Canadians deserve options now.
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