[mrsmith]

This article is definite socialist Kook bait.

TANSTAAFL!!!!
You only get out of hydrogen the energy you put into seperating it in the first place.

That said,
I found this the silliest part of Bush's speech- BUT>
It could lead to building atomic energy plants- as atomic energy is the only affordable way of powering a "hydrogen economy".

[pgkdan]

You only get out of hydrogen the energy you put into seperating it in the first place.

Yup...probably the same bunch of people who want to electrify every house in America. Everyone knows that's just plain foolishness. Dangerous, unhealthy and impossible!

[LonghornFreeper]

I have to disagree with you about this being a socialist idea. I am a strong conservative, but there is nothing socialist about liking clean air. I have been in Los Angeles and Houston and seen what smog is like. Even my home city of Dallas has its own cloud. I think many "conservatives" of today would have written off the Wright brothers, Henry Ford, Fulton, and many others as socialists, simply because they had new ideas. Just think, with this technology we could tell OPEC to collectivly jump in a lake. Many things we take for granted today, the Internet and commercial satellites just to name a couple, might never have gotten started without a push from the government.

[harpseal]

In terms of physics the efficency of electrolosis of water is relatively high. What is needed is a cheap method of producing the power that splits the water. As of today the only method that seems to have any chance of getting that done is nuclear power as the source. For you and all the other energy buffs out there Whyc ouldn't one build a very long lived source of DC electric power by putting an Alpha radioactive particle source on one side of a circuit and a Beta emmitter on the other side? Such would be a very good use for a whole lot of radioactive waste. this direct current could be used separating the hydrogen and oxygen of water for fuel. The waste heat could be used to generate further electricity. Of course the enviro-wackos would go crazy.

[Petronski]

An excellent post, mrsmith. Hydrogen is only a battery, and not a panacea. Insofar as hydrogen use could bring a rebirth of nuclear, I'm all for it. But Hydrogen produced with coal-powered electricity is a wash, enviromentally speaking.

[delapaz]

Actually the most interesting thing about the Hydrogen initiative would be its effect on foreign policy and oil exporting countries.

Follow me here:

1. Bush launches a huge hydrogen initiative costing billions of dollars, sets a goal of 15 years for viable technology.

2. Opec says uh-oh we better start pumping oil while we can still get more than $20 a barrel for it.

3. World oil prices fall as OPEC produces more oil.

Question for the class: How many $/bbl do oil prices have to fall before Bush and the USA have recovered their "Investment" in Hydrogen?
Followup question: Is the hydrogen policy more about alternative fuels and clean air or foreign policy? Discuss amongst yourselves.

[arm958]

You only get out of hydrogen the energy you put into seperating it in the first place.

True, but you can use sunshine to produce hydrogen from water.

[Aquinasfan]

It could lead to building atomic energy plants- as atomic energy is the only affordable way of powering a "hydrogen economy".

You betcha. Yucca mountain. Nuclear power plants. Drain the mideast swamp. Problems solved. Oops! I forgot about our brainwashed enviro-whackos.

Solution: vouchers in education to stop the brainwashing. The answer to just about every public policy problem is school vouchers.