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Monday, January 08, 2007 Oil Company Exec says his next car might run on hydrogen Shell Oil President John Hofmeister said in a recent speech at the National Press Club (as reported by Richard McCormack editor of Manufacturing News) that his company was using a variety of means to cover “America’s insatiable appetite for energy” and suggested energy efficiency must be part of America’s energy future along with wind, coal gasification, and hydrogen—all sources his company is exploring. The U.S. only has four and half percent of the world’s population, yet consumes 25 percent of the world’s energy. Hofmeister discussed ethanol fuels and their impact on the food chain as farmers are paying more for chicken feed now that the price of corn has gone up due to ethanol demands coupled with a poor harvest. Hofmeister went on to discuss the complexities of switching from a petroleum-based economy to one that uses alternative fuels. The oil company executive said his company would not debate the science of global warming, but called on America to show world leadership by reducing emissions. When he was asked what kind of fuel he would be using in his vehicle in the future, Hofmeister predicted it would be ethanol or a hydrogen fuel cell. ManufacturingNews.com |