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In
the wake of the terrorist attacks on September
11, Americans must first heal our wounds
and work with other nations to reduce the
immediate threat of additional acts of
terrorism. We must also consider the conditions
that fuel hostility toward the United States
and collaborate with other countries in
finding ways to ensure a peaceful and secure
future for our world.
For
the US, one of the most significant sources
of international tension has been our reliance
on oil, much of which we import from the Middle
East. This reliance has led to our deeply resented
military presence and support for oppressive
regimes in the region.
The
cause of the rising American oil dependency
is primarily
transportation. The 217 millions
cars, buses, and trucks on our country¹s
highways consume two-thirds of the oil we use.
Our transportation-related oil use has risen
43 percent since 1975. This is largely why
the US, with 5 percent of the world's population,
consumes over 25 percent of the oil produced
worldwide.
While
the US is, by far, the largest user of oil
for transportation
(operating almost
a third of the world¹s vehicles), expansion
of gasoline- and diesel-fueled transportation
systems around the world will further strain
dwindling oil supplies and create additional
tensions. Environmental impacts of this trend
include more vehicle-related air pollution,
which especially threatens the health of children,
and increased greenhouse gas emissions that
put our global climate at risk.
Fortunately,
every American can help to end our addiction
to oil and provide a more sustainable
model for other countries to follow. The first
step is to buy vehicles powered by commercially
available and domestically plentiful alternative
fuels. In the U.S., natural gas is an obvious
choice. This gaseous fuel, comprised largely
of hydrogen, is 90 percent less polluting than
oil-derived fuels and can pave the way for
hydrogen a truly sustainable transportation
option.
Almost
a million natural gas vehicles are on the
world¹s
roadways today. Wherever refueling infrastructure
is available, use
of these vehicles can rapidly increase. The
U.S. faces the costs of converting infrastructure,
developed over the last century for oil, to
use this new fuel. A country such as China,
however, has the opportunity to build natural
gas fueling systems from scratch.
Individual consumers in some countries can
buy natural gas vehicles today that companies
such as Ford, Honda and GM are producing. Where
natural gas is not available, hybrid electric
vehicles are a second choice. By combining
a conventional engine and an electric motor,
they can get up to 60 miles per gallon, stretching
the value of oil-derived fuels.
Government
vehicle fleets can also turn to natural gas.
Seventy cities in the US are using
natural gas transit buses. There are 1,000
in Los Angeles alone. Our nation¹s capital
just purchased its first 100. These buses also
travel the roadways in countries as diverse
as Korea, Australia, Sweden, Japan, Germany
and China. Natural gas garbage trucks, school
buses and taxis are commercial choices as well.
Natural gas is a versatile fuel that can be
burned in modified internal combustion or hybrid
electric vehicles. It can also be converted
into hydrogen at local gas stations so that
demonstrations of fuel cell vehicles can expand.
The US Space program has made hydrogen from
natural gas for decades.
Hydrogen fuel cell buses are now being tested
in California, and testing is slated to expand
in California and in European cities in the
next few years. Major automakers, including
Daimler Chrysler and Ford, plan to introduce
their first hydrogen fuel cell cars within
this decade. In the near term, these will likely
be fueled by hydrogen made from natural gas.
Within 10 to 20 years, with strong research,
commercial systems using solar energy to produce
hydrogen from water could come into use.
Given the powerful pressure of the oil and
auto industries, getting to the hydrogen era
will take a major commitment by leaders worldwide.
Economic incentives from governments are needed
to build markets for the new vehicles, which
will become cost competitive with mass production,
and for the development of systems that can
make hydrogen from water using solar energy.
As nations join forces to fight terrorism,
we can also work together to end world dependence
on oil for transportation. With a strong commitment
to an environmentally sustainable future, we
can provide a world of six billion and growing
with fuel cell vehicles powered by a fuel source
that will be forever renewable and pollution-free.
The author is President of INFORM, Inc., a
national environmental research organization,
based in New York City, which identifies practical
ways of living and doing business that represent
progress toward environmental sustainability.
For fifteen years, INFORM has analyzed state-of-the-art
alternative fuels and advanced technologies
in transportation.
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