• 63°
Hartselle Enquirer

Is hydrogen the answer?

Clif Knight

The fuss that is being made about doing away with oil as the world’s primary source of energy and replacing it with electrically charged batteries for motor vehicles, mechanical equipment and household appliances is raising more questions than answers and leaves a dark hole to the problem of what to do with all the junk that is going to be left behind.

Is this a Chicken Little pipe dream that the sky is falling and drastic measures have to be taken sooner than later to save the human race from its own misdeeds, namely environmental change? Who really believes that America has the natural resources to produce enough batteries to meet the nation’s demand for fuel on any national holiday? That’s not taking into account the likely cost involved, especially when you consider that the consumer was spending only $2.00 per gallon for gas when the country was able to produce its own supply. Equally concerning is whether we’ll be able to produce enough electricity with wind and solar in researching power potential in heretofore untapped areas. For instance, I wrote a story several years ago about the research two local auto mechanics were doing to use water instead of gasoline as a fuel for a Cadillac car. Water is composed of two parts hydrogen and one part water. They were able to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen, as us students were able to do with a heat source in high school physics class. The bright blue flame from the opening of a pipette tube identified the hydrogen.

They installed a water tank in the truck of the Cadillac and used hydrogen to propel the car from Hartselle to Nashville and back. They reported that the car performed normally as it had done previously in their shop.

The time is now to be

They were not aware of fuel research conducted by automobile manufacturers in years past but believed that it was a possibility. They agreed that hydrogen has the properties that make it efficient as a fuel source and viewed it as a likely substitute for gasoline subject to a cost-efficient method of production.

Hartselle

Hartselle students to attend Boys State

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

High scorers: 42 Hartselle students a part of ACT 30 plus club

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle projects budget surplus based on midyear numbers 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Planned Hartselle library already piquing interest 

Brewer

Students use practical life skills at Morgan County 4-H competition

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

After 13 years underground, the cicadas are coming 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle students collect pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House

MULTIMEDIA-FRONT PAGE

Priceville students design art for SRO’s police car 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle Junior Thespians excel at state festival 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

$15k raised for community task force at annual banquet  

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

4H Pig Show to be held May 11 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

‘We want the best’: Hartselle Police Department is hiring

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Council hears complaints about Hartselle business owner

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Priceville students design art for SRO’s police car 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Scott Stadthagen confirmed to University of West Alabama Board of Trustees 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle plans five major paving projects for 2024 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Future walking trail dubbed ‘Hartselle Hart Walk’ promotes heart health, downtown exploration 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Chiropractor accused of poisoning wife asks judge to recuse himself 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle seniors get early acceptance into pharmacy school  

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Farmers market to open Saturday for 2024 season

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Challenger Matthew Frost unseats longtime Morgan Commissioner Don Stisher

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Cheers to 50 years  

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Scott Stadthagen confirmed to University of West Alabama Board of Trustees 

Editor's picks

Hartselle graduate creates product for amputees 

x