Most of us know that by using fossil fuels we are slowly but surely destroying our atmosphere and implicitly our health. And one of the biggest sources of pollution resulted from fossil fuels is represented by cars. The solution is relatively simple: switching to hydrogen fuel-cells.
In a recent study published on Thursday, it was shown that by switching to this solution, we would have better air quality, less destructive climatic effects, in
conclusion a healthier life.
Using hydrogen-based fuel-cells means striking at the very heart of pollution and eliminating all greenhouse gases. Aside from these environmental advantages, there is also a financial aspect that has to be considered: the elimination of economic dependence.
Fuel cell vehicles using hydrogen produced by wind and naturalgas offer the greatest potential health benefits, and could save 3,700 to 6,400 lives annually in the United States by reducing air pollution.
But not all hydrogen technologies are environment friendly. The researchers reported that using coal to make hydrogen would actually produce more greenhouse gases than if all U.S. drivers switched to gas/electric hybrid vehicles like those currently on the market.
The most nonpolluting method of producing hydrogen is by using wind electrolysis.
"We concluded that if you generate hydrogen from wind or natural gas you get a clear benefit over gas/electric hybrid vehicles, though hybrids would also represent an improvement over the current fleet," Mark Jacobson, an associate professor at Stanford University, said.
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