As the world stands, many countries rely on oil as a major source of revenue. The OPEC countries, the United States, and others all make sizable profits on the sale of oil across the globe. Should the energy production shift from oil to hydrogen, these economies of these countries would become unstable and all the nations of the world would be thrust into turmoil.
For stability to remain, many steps must be taken to ensure that those lands remain financially STABLE. One such step could be to eliminate the world's notion that money has value. If money meant nothing then these nations would have no fear in losing their great sources of income.
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Making hydrogen power available is one thing, making it favorable in the eyes of a consumer is another. To date, the biggest problems with fuel cell technology are availability of fuel and cost. Both of these make the purchase of fuel cells unattractive to the average citizen.
Most people in the world are concerned with convenience: if something is not readily available, it is not worth using. For hydrogen to potentially replace gasoline, it would have to have the same availability - stations offering hydrogen would have to be around the country such that inconvenience in refilling fuel does not occur.
Another major problem is cost. A single fuel cell producing one watt of power could cost upwards of $300. For fuel cells to be effective, many must be stacked to produce a large enough voltage that it can power a device.
A $268 hydrogen fuel cell stack from fuelcellstore.com produces 1W of power.
Another problem that arises is that the world population must be educated as to the benefits of using hydrogen fuel cells. All citizens must be informed about the environmental impacts of switching to hydrogen power as well as the financial implications. No matter what occurs, the populace must remain informed.
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