US Energy Facts

Some US and international energy policy facts

• Technology is available today to produce high-MPG, low-emission vehicles powered by the existing oil infrastructure.
• Technology exists, and is used in Europe to produce diesel fuel that dramatically reduces emissions from diesel powered vehicles having significantly better fuel economy than gasoline vehicles.
• A fuel cell produces energy from a chemical reaction when hydrogen is combined with oxygen. The only byproduct is water. In recent years, the cost of fuel cells has dropped sharply. Hydrogen can be produced from natural gas aboard vehicles or pure hydrogen can be used, requiring development of a new supply infrastructure.
The catch is that energy is consumed in the production of pure hydrogen, so some other fuel must be consumed in the process.

Energy-related web sites

• End Wars For Oil - Why & How to Promote Vehicle Efficiency
• Energy Department site: http://www.energy.gov/
• http://www.autoalliance.org/economy.htm Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

Sources:

• January 9, 2001 Boston Globe
• January 9, 2002 Associated Press, By H. Josef Hebert - "Bush abandoning high-mileage car program for hydrogen fuel-cell approach"
• January 19, 2002 Boston Globe - "GM gives us glimpse of the fuel-cell future"
• January 18, 2002 Auto Weekly - "Gas-electric Civic rolls" (in Dave Van Sickle's Down the Road column)