Hydrogen Powered Car Proposal Not As Environmentally Friendly as One Might Think

In this op-ed piece in the New York Times (2/15/03), Robert J. Kennedy questions whether Bush's proposal to invest in technology to develop hydrogen powered cars is as environmentally sound as it might appear. Kennedy criticizes the Bush proposal as follows:

Certainly, fuel cells that use renewable resources like wind and solar power to extract hydrogen from water promise America a safe, clean energy solution. However, in a sop to the energy industry, the White House wants to extract hydrogen instead from coal and natural gas (without controlling carbon emissions), thereby increasing global warming and fouling our landscape. Worse, the president wants to build a new generation of nuclear power plants specifically for hydrogen production.

The president's hydrogen plan will further reduce our national commitment to renewables by cutting our already anemic financing for research into wind, solar and other energy-saving technologies.

Is some action such as the hydrogen plan better than nothing? And does hydrogen production hold more promise for improving air quality and reducing dependence on foreign oil than other renewables like wave and wind? Let us know what you think.