Iceland, in a way, has been forced to study ways to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Since it is an island, it is quite expensive to import gas (The price of a gallon is around eight dollars).

Iceland is pioneering the hydrogen fuel cell car: a car that is powered by a fuel cell, which generates electricity by converting hydrogen and oxygen into water. The fuel cell is filled like any traditional car via a pump from a fueling station.

Hydrogen is the best possible energy source, because it is the most common element in our atmosphere. Also, almost anything can be used to produce hydrogen for energy use: from trees to landfill waste.

Iceland, in a way, has been forced to study ways to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Since it is an island, it is quite expensive to import gas (The price of a gallon is around eight dollars).

Iceland has already dealt with the issue of expensive fossil fuels in terms of their heating and electricity. They have elected to use the ocean to create hydroelectric power. Now, Icelanders are attempting to further rid their ties with petroleum.

Hydrogen may be the most abundant element on Earth, but it is not easy to produce. According to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Kenneth Neusen, technological advances are needed for the hydrogen fuel cell car to be able compete with our standard gas-guzzlers.

Neusen illustrated that one pivotal advancement needs to occur for hydrogen fuel cell cars to be ready for mass production: avoiding the use of petroleum to break up the hydrogen to be usable.

Renewable energy sources must be used to break up the hydrogen that would be used to power the cars. It takes a lot of energy to break up objects into useable hydrogen, and petroleum is commonly the massive energy source used for this process. It would not make much sense to have hydrogen cars if petroleum is needed to obtain it.

While most countries would need to use petroleum for this process, because fossil fuels are their primary source of energy, Iceland is the ideal country for this type of car, because their primary source of energy is hydroelectric power.

According to retired University of Iceland Professor Bragi Arnason, “Hydrogen fuel cell cars may not be available in Iceland until 2010.”

The 2007 Toyota Prius hybrid can go 60 miles per gallon in the city and was rated the most fuel-efficient car by the United States government. However, even the economical Prius is a disgusting polluting monstrosity, in comparison to a hydroelectric car that only has water vapor coming out of its exhaust.

The specifics on how to make the car reliable and reasonably priced are still being worked out. However, when all of the kinks are worked out, it is guaranteed that hydrogen cars will be the cleanest cars available. So clean that Al Gore himself might drive one.

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