Bush Wants More Research Money for Hydrogen Cars

Reuters ^ | 1.30.04 | Reuters

[ambrose]

Bush Wants More Research Money for Hydrogen Cars

Fri January 30, 2004 06:13 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration will seek a 43 percent increase in federal funds to develop cars that run on hydrogen fuel and eventually have in place the service station infrastructure that will support the vehicles.

The $227 million in total research money is included in the government's budget for the 2005 spending year to be released by the White House on Monday, said an Energy Department official.

The money is part of President Bush's long-term initiative begun last year to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil by developing hydrogen-powered fuel cells to run cars, trucks, homes and businesses.

The emissions-free vehicles would also cut pollution as their only by-product would be water.

The administration wants to have the hydrogen cars in the market and available to consumers at an affordable price near the end of the next decade.

However, many environmental groups say that is too long and believe U.S. oil imports could be reduced quicker if the government significantly boosted the mileage requirements for new gas-guzzling SUVs, pick-up trucks and minivans.

[Consort]

Is President Bush trying to lose the election?

The voters have a clear choice: Tax and Spenders vs Tax Cutters and Spenders.

Voters who now pay less taxes and voters who get some of that government spending, and voters who now pay less taxes and get some of that government spending may be satisfied with the status quo.

[DBrow]

"Hydrogen liberates about 3.5 times as much energy per pound as gasoline but it is 11 times less dense so that on a volumetric basis (per gallon) it is only about 1/3 as 'efficient'."

Consider storage as a metal hydride or clathrate under pressure. I have worked with LH2 and it is plain too dangerous to turn loose at a "gas station".

Imagine a car with a 50 L superinsulated Dewar! Whooee! Now imagine a crash...

[LaraCroft]

There must be something in the water in DC that makes normal rational people go stark raving mad in just a few years.

[lodwick]

Jackass idiot is spending our $$$ forever.

[JoeGar]

Hydrogen-powered cars? Cool. Everyone can be a suicide bomber now.

[Always Right]

Anybody know where the ocean of hydrogen is that will be needed to fuel those cars?

Mars!

[COEXERJ145]

Bush has said that the budget he is proposing will limit growth to .5% outside of defense. Now I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt before the actual budget is released. It is quite possible that a lot of the proposed money is coming from other programs or projects that are being closed or eliminated.

I say just wait until Monday and read the budget before giving yourselves ulcers. Right now we're hearing "reports" of what may or may not be true. Too many people are going make themselves miserable all weekend quite possibly for nothing.

[DManA]

The spending WILL get paid for out of taxpayers hides. The tax cuts are just an illusion. The oldest magicians trick in the book. Distract you with one hand while the other hand is picking your pocket.

The voters have a clear choice: Tax and Spenders vs Tax Cutters and Spenders.

[billbears]

Yes, how wrong of conservatives that are for smaller government to point out absolute waste when a Republican does it. Don't we know we're only supposed to do that when the other party is in charge?!? I mean, it's only 150 billion dollars more than we were told for a healthcare/medical plan that should never have been passed in the first place. What's another couple ten million for a car that nobody wants. Heck, I'm so behind this plan I think I'll write the national government and tell them to take more out of my paycheck. They'll need it sooner or later to pay for this waste

[Flavius]

gasoline...

()stripping hydrogen of benzene rings....

thats why they are cornering the world oil supplies

[Mike4Freedom]

Voters who now pay less taxes and voters who get some of that government spending, and voters who now pay less taxes and get some of that government spending may be satisfied with the status quo.

Republican deficits work the same as Democratic deficits. They make for inflation, high interest rates and general pain. So which party do we turn to if we want to stop the wasteful spending and the cancerous growth of government? Certainly not the Democrats and certainly not the Republicans. Welcome to the Libertarian Party!

[kenth]

Hate Bush? You're implying that people are irrational when they are merely fed up with being considered as nothing more than a locked-up vote with a wallet attached. People are dissatisfied with the pandering, with the lack of concern for Americans as opposed to illegal immigrants, etc. Just because you're being screwed by a Republican doesn't make the screwing any more pleasant.

Nice "subversive democrap" line BTW. You might have had me had you asked us why didn't we care about the War on Terror™...

[BenR2]

Bush has lost it.

[Porterville]

What you consider pandering is another man's constituency; It ain't all about you... of course that is a sure sign of insanity... Do you think it is all about you??

[RLK]

You don't get energy for nothing. Hydrogen must be produced at expense and "polluting" power production.

[kenth]

LOL, do you use the personal attack style in all of your arguments? Your approach would make any democrap proud. :D

I'll have to agree with you in that his pandering is another man's constituency, namely Vincente Fox's.

[Hank Rearden]

"Bush Wants More . . . . . ."

is ending up as the beginning phrase of many news headlines. Dammit.

[RLK]

I loved the Bush we elected.

------------------------

The Bush you elected never existed except in your wishful think and in the manipulations of party tacticians.

[Porterville]

Bush is evil right??? I mean you really don't like Bush right??

[kiki p]

We are starting to raise a few eyebrows over his spending like a drunken sailor on big government boondoggles

One big difference - drunken sailors spend their OWN money.