Would hydrogen powered cars not be worse or equally bad for the enviornment as the current ones?

Question

They say the best thing about it is that the only thing that comes out the exhaust is water vapour. But isn't water vapour more of a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide? Doesn't it trap more heat? What would potentially be the effects of the whole planet running cars that release water vapour into the atmosphere?

Answer 1

No water vapor is not more of a greenhouse gas than CO2 because as it reaches cooler climates it would condense and either become rain or fog, etc and come to ground as water.

In either case even if it would be a problem it is 0.0000000000568438902% of the problem we have now

so it is a big step in the right direction

Answer 2

Aren't they just battery powered cars?  They just don't work - they aren't powerful enough and use up too much electricity.

Answer 3

they  get the hydrogen from water, and when it comes out of the vehicle as pure water, the only problem that i can think it that much water in the atmosphere can cause more heating from global warming, because water vapor is a green house gas, and intensify storms. but there is no other way.

Answer 4

It's not the water. That will rain out. It's the fuel needed to make the hydrogen. Only 60 percent of the energy used to make hydrogen is actually stored in the hydrogen. The rest is lost as heat. A traditional power plant (and its emissions) is needed to produce hydrogen.

Also, hydrogen engines using air give off NOx gases.

Answer 5

The total amount of water vapor in the atmosphere is a direct function of the  temperature. If you add more water vapor at constant temperature, it will induce more rainfall.

Higher temperature is the single cause of increasing the total amount of water vapor in the air over any extended period.

Because the oceans will pour just gigatons of water into the air if the temperature is high enough to support it, nothing we do can directly change the net amount of water vapor.

If we do something that raises the temperature, as in a nuclear reactor, or a fossil fuel burning device, that extra heat, all by itself will allow the air to hold more water vapor. It has a long term effect.

A great forest fire puts a lot of CO2 and water vapor into the air. It also raises the  earth's temperature. But the water vapor is not long term. The extra heat and CO2 are long term.

Answer 6

Cars that run on petrol have no noticeable effect on the atmosphere..If all the petrol powered cars on earth were to run there engine to maximum rev's the effect on the atmosphere would be less than 0.01%

Answer 7

Water vapor is also produced when you burn gasoline.

There are those who claim that clouds reflect heat back into space.

Where does the truth lie?

All this BS about carbon footprints is pure speculation. Bits of fact mixed with speculation on both sides of the issue.

We are NOT scientifically ready to commit 1.5 trillion dollars to the idea that we can change the environment for the better. We need to halt this insanity before we do more harm than good.

One thing you can know for SURE: With today's technology, even if the cars are better, the processes by which we can produce the hydrogen are WORSE for the environment than the processes required to produce gasoline.

Answer 8

Ya I was wondering about that, wouldn't hydrogen do stuff to the atmosphere too?

Answer 9

I've wondered the same thing.  I mean, billions of pounds of greenhouse gasses are released from volcanoes (and there are several active at any given time), yet cars are causing global warming.  How can they claim that the millions of gallons of water vapor released by the millions of cars every day would have any LESS effect?  It's a question I have yet to see anyone (of importance) address.

Answer 10

Well, water vapor is released into the air every day, naturally.  It's called fog!!!  And it's got to be better than the poisons we're releasing now.  You do raise an interesting question but I'd be more concerned with the concrete and pavement replacing dirt, grass, trees, and shrubs.  Why does no one have anything to say on that issue?  The heat that is radiated back from the pavement in cities has got to be affecting the atmosphere.  Then there is the problem with flooded areas because there is no place for rain water to go, no ground to absorb the run off.  I would like to see more environmentalists address this problem.

Answer 11

let me start off by saying Hydrogen is a great option for the concept of free energy.     I built my first hydrogen cell about 5 years ago. Have converted over 50 vehicles in the last 10 years (gydrogen and EV) and now currently run 2 trucks (and another EV), my home hot water heater, home stove and home generator on hydrogen for free with caught rain water and the help of a $10 solar panel.  I offer a step by step DIY guide to walk anyone interested threw the process. You can find it at www agua-luna com or you can email me.

There are basically 3 safe ways to make and use it... chemically, electrically and molecularly, the first 2 being easier so I'll only discuss them here. The fallowing steps were taking directly out of a DIY guide I offer to those who would like to run their vehicles or home on hydrogen safely. The entire guide is available at www agua-luna com

    On demand h2 generators are a bit different from the Hollywood versions like seen Chain Reaction with Keanu Reeves, that tend to explode violently every time a film is being made. However when used in an on-demand system there is no storage of hydrogen and oxygen in its gas form, only liquid (water) and is only transformed into gas “on-demand” in small cylinder size amounts. It’s actually safer then gasoline as it doesn’t evaporate, creating explosive fumes in the tank like gas. the following were actually taken out of my $5 guide available at www agua-luna com

    Chemically

    1. You’ll need a 6inch x 1ft schedule 40 pvc pipe. With pvc cement glue a cap on the bottom and use a s***w on cap for the top. Drill a small hole (1/4inch or so) in the side close to the top, s******g in a small copper shut off valve. Place a few feet of stranded (food grade is good) flex hose to the valve and into the air intake of your engine (carburetor or fuel injections).

    2. Now crunch up a couple aluminum cans (beer cans, soda cans etc) and drop them into the pvc pipe, along with a couple cups of lye (Red Devil drain opener has lye in it, some Clorox and Drano’s do to).

    3. Then simply add water, s***w on the top and wait a few minutes.

    What happens in simplicity is that aluminum and lye don’t really get along so they battle, and as always the innocent civilians (water H2O) that the most casualties, by giving up its hydrogen and oxygen. This then builds up in the void of the pipe and is ready to be vented into your engine, by opening the valve. You may need to start your engine on gas then switch it off after the hydrogen starts burning.

    Electrical is a bit easier then Chemically.

    1. Simply take a small solar panel 1.5 amps is what I use ($9 at harborfreight.com), connect the 2 wires from the panel +- to 2 conductors (carbon cores of batteries work well, just be careful removing it from the jacket), but any conductive material will work ie. Copper, aluminum, steel, etc.

    2. Drop the wires into a water tank (I use 55gal drums), make sure they don’t touch each other.

    3. Drill a small hole (1/4inch or so) in the side close to the top, s******g in a small copper shut off valve. Place a few feet of stranded (food grade is good) flex hose to the valve and into the air intake of your engine (carburetor or fuel injections).

    4. Then simply add water, s***w on the top cap and wait.

    After a few hours tiny bubbles will form and rise off one conductor (that’s hydrogen) and even smaller bubbles that just looks like foam will rise off the other (oxygen). I don’t remember which likes the positive and which likes the neg hydrogen or the oxygen.

    The third method is more complicated and is what I use for my vehicles. It’s just a modified Joe’s Cell, there’s a step by step DIY guide available to walk you threw the process here www agua-luna com

It also covers the other 2 methods described in more detail.

www agua-luna com

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www AGUA-LUNA com

Stop Global Warming!!!

Answer 12

Great point. It would definetely make the air more humid resulting in higher temperatures.

But I think there is a better solution than hydrogen. It is changing all gas and oil power plants to solar. And then having all cars electric. NOTHING will come out of the car. Not to mention it wouldn't require as great an infrastructure change. We could plug our cars in from fuel from the sun. Unlike now in which power is being made from coal then we plug in our cars thinking we are making a difference.

Answer 13

The water vapour isn't a big concern.  All the coal that would have to be burned to make electricity for hydrogen is.  Plus the fact that you lose energy in separating the hydrogen and even more when it is used in the car.  A coal plant might be more efficient than a gas engine but I don't think the whole system is much better.

Answer 14

Billions of litres of water is evaporated from the seas each second.

Henceforth Water vapour from exhaust pipes won't have any effect.