Hydrogen Cars = Saviour to the Earth??? Are They Really …..



   


I am sure you would be waiting for the Hydrogen cars running on fuel cell as they are a cheaper source of transport than petrol or diesel whose price are increasing every morning we wake up from our beds and of course they may reduce pollution .

But Are a much awaited hydrogen car a better option for saving our earth from the incurable problem of Global warming. Well Hydrogen Cars still carry a Big question mark.

What makes a hydrogen car a reality is a device called Fuel cell, which converts hydrogen to electricity giving off Heat and water vapour as by- products.

By knowing this many environmentalist jump out of their chairs thinking that this will protect the earth from the harmful pollution of the Co2 and many other harmful gases, thus freeing them from a huge burden of protecting the Mother Earth. But is it true????? That using hydrogen car will really free us from the burden. Well it’s still a BIG Question.

Now what really according to us harms the Earth is the Co2, So2 and many more gases sciences would very well know them all. Well well you all will be surprised to know that the Lion among the sheep is not Co2 but the “Water Vapour”. Water vapour is the most important factor influencing the greenhouse effect. In a rough approximation the gases that contribute to the green house effect are 60% water vapour, 20% carbon dioxide,the rest 20% is caused by ozone, nitrous oxide, methane and several other gases. So why doesn’t the UN’s climate body list water vapour as a greenhouse gas? It’s because water vapour does not by itself increase temperatures but it amplifies already occurring warming. It remains in the atmosphere and actively traps the heat. The atmosphere can only hold more water vapour if overall temperature increases. So a small warming effect caused by our CO2 emissions will increase the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere. The added water vapour leads to more warming, thus amplifying the CO2 warming effect. As a feedback effect, water vapour is comparable to a car’s turbo charger that increases a motor’s power. CO2, on the other hand, is responsible for a much smaller amount of the natural warming effect.

Now just imagine we are developing cars that may run on hydrogen and emit water vapour and heat. This will though reduce the carbon emissions but it will surely release water vapour and heat thus increasing the mercury. Now there will Co2 emissions from the industries and the water vapour from the cars which will amplify the temperature even faster than estimated……………….



Akshay Ratnawat
Delhi University.

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