Hydrogen Fuel Cells vs. Natural Gas

For many years, politicians, scientists and even civilians have voiced their opinions of the United States’ high usage of oil. These legitimate concerns have raised questions surrounding what steps should be taken in an effort to minimize the country’s dependency on other countries for this resource. Scientists continue to work on more reliable solutions in relation to this dilemma. Past research has shown that hydrogen fuel cells can quite possibly replace the country’s current usage of oil while having a more positive effect on the environment. However, environmentalists have conducted their own contradicting research on fuel cells reflecting negative effects on the environment. Numerous articles have been published which express both sides of this debate. Although some scientists believe hydrogen fuel cells will improve the environment and rid the United States of their dependency upon other countries, others believe it will not benefit the economy but result in two giant steps back.
While natural gas has had a direct negative effect on the Ozone Layer, scientists have found an element that allegedly causes no additional threat to global warming, hydrogen fuel cells. The negative effects that oil has had on the environment have been a major factor in the manufacturing of cars that contain hydrogen fuel cells. Recently, multiple car dealerships have begun manufacturing cars that contain replacements of the internal combustion engine with hydrogen fuel cells. Jim Motavalli, editor of E. Magazine, writes, “A hydrogen car emits no pollution or global warming gases, aside from what might have resulted from producing the hydrogen itself,” (105). This is what scientists have been seeking to accomplish. Motavalli also states, “The only byproducts are heat and water,” (105). Given these two facts, one can observe the advanced technology hydrogen fuel cells may have to offer. Because the exact emissions from the hydrogen fuel cells are created through natural elements,