Editorial: Bush’s move on fuel cells bold, welcome

Published 12:00 am Thursday, January 10, 2002

From staff reports

For a president who is reputedly a puppet of the oil industry, George W.

Thursday, January 10, 2002

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For a president who is reputedly a puppet of the oil industry, George W. Bush made a surprising and bold move this week when his administration announced the end of a program that encouraged fuel-efficent vehicles – in favor of one that presses for hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles that could eventually spell the end of the internal-combustion engine.

Hydrogen fuel cells are a fast-growing techology that can produce electricity through a chemical reaction, without burning fuel or emitting anything except water. The ramifications are huge: Not only could America end its dependence on foreign oil, it could also stop or slow down emissions of carbon dioxide, which comes out of every tailpipe of every gas-powered vehicle. This otherwise benign gas is harmful to the atmosphere because it traps heat, creating what is known as the greenhouse effect.

If auto makers had spent as much time over the last eight years developing fuel-cell technology as they had working on an 80-mile-per-gallon car, the science would be more advanced by now. As it stands, however, a practical and affordable fuel-cell vehicle is probably at least a decade away.

But for a president who has been criticized on environmental issues, the move toward fuel cells is an amazing development, considering that fossil fuels like oil are among the global environment’s top enemies. The Bush administration showed great foresight and vision in making the move, and here’s hoping it’s the first step in the decline of the internal-combustion engine.