Fuel Cells are The Future Energy Source Essay -- essays research paper

In a society that is capable of producing and consuming large amount of energy, we often take these nonrenewable resources for granted. It isn’t until the last few decades that people begins to realize the effect of global warming. With more and more cars appearing on the road everyday, the necessity of gasoline is greatly increasing. Fortunately, a â€Å"new† technology has been developed. It is believed to be the next replacement for gasoline and it would have positive environmental impact. As you might have guessed, it is the fuel cells. History The idea of fuel cells has actually been developed more than a century ago by William Robert Grove, thus it is not exactly a new development. Initial ideas with the fuel cells are to be used in power plants. However, it isn’t until recently, that detailed research has been conducted How It Works There are different types of fuel cells, the most common type involves hydrogen. Energy is released when two hydrogen atoms are combined with an oxygen atom and it is potentially the energy that is used by the vehicle. As the two gases are storable, it makes it possible to be used in places upon request. Efficiency Unlike fuel cells, many renewable resources are storable, but can not provide enough energy. This makes fuel cells one of the very few replacements of gasoline. At the same time, fuel cells are more efficient than gasoline. It is estimated that around 40 to 50% of the energy generated through the process will actually be used by the fuel cells vehicle. However, having these two flammable gases in one’s vehicle would make it far too dangerous if safety precautions aren’t properly taken. Other downsides to the fuel cells include the fact that if produced from water, it uses ... .... If governments decide to melt glaciers, it will only speed up global warming. Due to the fast change in our weather, more and more people are aware of global warming. Thus, promoting fuel cells vehicles will encourage politicians to take action to protect our environment. For the next fifty years, the environment will have a larger impact in politics as the change in temperature will affect people’s daily lives. It is predicted that a much larger budget will be used cut to compensate those who will be adjusting to the fuel cells technology. As this technology matures over the next decade, governments will put more stress on using fuel cells vehicles. The fuel cells market will expand to fulfill the idea of a hydrogen economy with an emission free and zero carbon emission. It is a promising invention with promising a future. However, only time one will tell.