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Hydrogen Economy (February 21, 2003, Two)

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Program Summary

Gas. We need it, we want it. But is it good for us? Gasoline lets us move around the world at will, but it also pollutes that same world. The same goes for coal and wood and any other non-renewable fuel source that fouls the air and depletes our natural resources. The good news is that the movement for changing to a hydrogen-based economy is gaining momentum, bolstered by President Bush’s State of the Union address in which he stressed the necessity of developing hydrogen-run power systems to clean up the planet and reduce our dependence on oil-producing nations.

Hydrogen is available in abundance because it is a by-product of oil production. It can also be generated by water electrolysis. A hydrogen fuel cell burns cleanly and produces nothing but water vapor. It isn’t a new phenomenon—hydrogen fuel cells were first created in 1839 and have been used more recently in the Apollo space flights and the space shuttle. Auto manufacturers are experimenting with using them to power cars; in fact, two hybrid models that utilize fuel cells and gasoline are available from Honda and Toyota and have proven to be very popular with American consumers. Sounds perfect, but there is a hitch. The cells are very expensive to produce, and, since pure hydrogen is extremely volatile, safety is an issue. Due to these drawbacks, the industry may never move beyond hybrid cars.

Guests

Peter Hoffmann, editor of The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Letter , Albany, New York

Susan Hock, director of the Electric and Hydrogen Technologies and Systems Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado

Alan Lloyd, chairman of the California Fuel Cell Partnership in Sacramento, California

Congressman Edward Markey (D, MA, 7^th District) member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, United States House of Representatives in Washington, DC

Related Links and Resources

Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Home Page
California Fuel Cell Partnership
American Hydrogen Association
The Electric Power Research Institute
The Department of Energy
Time.com: Best Inventions 2002: Hy-wire Car
Howstuffworks.com: How Fuel Cells Work

For Discussion:

• How is hydrogen produced?
• How does a fuel cell work?
• What are the advantages of fuel cell power? What are the disadvantages?
• Would you buy a fuel cell-powered car even if it were much more expensive than a conventional one?
• What are other alternative energy sources?

Activities

What it is. Howstuffworks.com’s How Fuel Cells Work is a thorough, comprehensible explanation of fuel cells, their pros and cons, safety issues and much more, including links to other excellent sites pertaining to fuel cell research. A complete energy and transportation education module is available at Energy Education Curriculum Project. The module addresses learning standards in science, math, language arts, and social studies.

Do it yourself. Visit National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Cool Science Teacher’s Lounge for a lesson on fuel cell technology created by middle and high school students. Simple experiments in electrolysis and ionization are included.

You auto know.GM Says Its Future is in Fuel Cells at MSNBC.comis somewhat technical for middle-schoolers, but videos, animations, and an interactive car help students visualize the technology. Kids can compare the workings of gasoline and fuel cell engines.

Cool cars. After students have researched fuel cells and their use for transportation, have them design their own fuel cell-powered car and create an advertisement for it.

Related Activities from Science Friday Kids’ Connection, January 31, 2003.

Oil, oil everywhere.At Discovery School,kids become archaeologists and dig up Joe’s Junkyard to reconstruct the oil-dependent society of the early 21^st century. A lesson plans accompanies the activity.

Power to the people.Energy Quest - Energy Education from the California Energy Commissionis a colorful, entertaining site that explores energy use with science project suggestions, a library, games, links, a biography section, even an art gallery.

Air today, gone tomorrow. Newspapers in Education: Pollute Locally, Spread Globallydiscusses how polluting the air in our own area affects the entire world. Students can compare miles per gallon for the latest cars and learn about the new hybrid automobiles.Have students search for energy-related articles in your local paper for in-class discussion.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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