"J. Clarke" wrote:
>
> On 5/1/2010 1:45 AM, Sky wrote:
> > Dan Abel wrote:
> >>
> >> Actually, during the last administration, billions of dollars were
> >> allocated for pure R&D to develop methods of producing hydrogen fuel.
> >> All of the money was devoted to producing it from...fossil fuels
> >> (natural gas). Thunk.
> >
> > No matter the "administration," there has been government and private
> > support for research to develop renewable energy from tidal, geothermic,
> > and "bio" (think corn& cooking oil as some examples) resources.
>
> (a) We know how to produce all the hydrogen we want. There's no trick
> to that. The trick is producing it at a cost that makes it competitive
> and there's no way that can be done by making it from water.

It can only be cost effective if it is produced from a "free" or "waste"
energy source.

>
> (b) "bio" is crap--the effect of "bio" has been to raise food prices.
> I'm sure you think that there's some magic biofuel that will grow madly
> on non-arable land but there isn't.

The algae based biodiesel seems to have pretty good potential and can be
produced in non-arable areas.