It may be the search for a cause to believe in or a group to belong to but there is a distinct religious fervor in the attitude of some hydrogen advocates. This may be a good time to remind them, hydrogen power is a technology, not a religion. It is one possible solution to some of our energy problems. It may be able to provide a clean source of power for transportation, for our homes and for many other applications currently powered by other energy sources.
On the other hand, "potential," "possible" and "may" are keywords to remember whenever we discuss hydrogen because practical, scalable and affordable applications do not yet exist. There is a great deal of research going on in this area but there is much research being done in other areas as well. Hydrogen has to prove itself as the superior technology and it is not a foregone conclusion that it will do so. Even if it does, it may be many years in the future and before that, diesel, biodiesel and hybrid cars may make huge inroads toward solving transportation problems, nuclear power may provide huge amounts of clean electricity and these technologies could work very well, maybe for the next hundred years.
Hydrogen could be much like the bright student of whom everyone expects great things. As the years go by, there is frequent promise and many fresh starts but in the end nothing ever happens. Maybe the average student just works harder and delivers real solutions while the bright one constantly over promises and under delivers. Whatever the case, look at hydrogen for what it is, a technology. Don't worship it and condemn all who do not agree, work to make it real and it could become real, but keep your eyes open to other solutions, too. They might be the better choice.
