Energy to help our ecological crisis?

[IAmNemo]

organic born,
Haha, hydrogen fuel... Another of the cheap gimmicks that optimists and social dissidents often adhere to.
(Don't take any offense to that, I'm both an optimist and a social dissident myself.)

There are numerous problems with using hydrogen as a fuel source that most people who are hopeful of the technology often have no ideas about. Explosions aren't even at the top of this list.

For example, the fact that using more of our clean water supply and literally burning through it on a global scale? Does that sound like a good idea to you? Do you think clean water is an easily renewable resource?

Second, what is required for creating hydrogen fuel? That's right, electricity.
Traditional energy sources must be used just to acquire this fuel. Therefore we are still dependent on things like coal and oil until we produce enough solar, wind, or nuclear power to fulfill all energy needs around the world. A goal we are not anywhere near at this moment.

Not to mention that producing clean water from ocean water, to renew what we are using as fuel, also requires massive amounts of energy.

Then there is size and weight to consider. Hydrogen isn't exactly the best fuel source unless you store it as compressed liquid, in which case it becomes extremely volatile and uncontrollably explosive. I don't think some fancy new tanks are going to prevent everyone from exploding an entire neighborhood block from some freak accidents that statistically occur pretty much every single day with traditional gas engines.
And what is required to compress it even if explosions can be controlled? Yep, you guessed it. More energy.

So inevitably this fuel source is costing us in energy even more than our current energy needs! How is that an 'advancement' in technology?
I absolutely hope we never see the day when hydrogen fuel becomes common. If this day were to ever come then I hope you're all on the energy company's 'good' list. Because they would be humanity's new overlords.

The only way that hydrogen fuel would ever be viable is if humanity's technologies are supremely more advanced. That all regular energy needs are covered and there is actually an over abundance of energy being produced. Then, and only then, if those requirements are met we also have technology to entirely eliminate the threat of catastrophic failure resulting in mass explosions. Including intentional use as a weapon.
And let's not forget the safety of the production facility workers as well as general refilling stations. We need those places absolutely secured, too.
Furthermore, if those requirement are met, it would only be largely beneficial if another more viable fuel source has not yet been found.
Only then could hydrogen fuel be useful and not connect productive.

So we're looking at maybe 100 years or so from now? Just my guess.

P.S. Many of the statistics regarding hydrogen production are also skewed. Several of these statistics are derived from the very energy companies who themselves would profit the most from using hydrogen as a fuel source. If you're reading about hydrogen fuel, as with anything, be careful with statistics and pay clear attention to whom funded them and did the research for them, as well as how they did that research. There are many dubious sources and large corporations are not above skewing results to make more money.

I guarantee you all that if you look into nuclear energy technologies you will find that ultimately they are the best technology for us right now. Minimal ecological footprint with huge energy payouts. And modern nuclear reactors are extremely safe and have numerous preventive safeguards against melt down that make it near impossible. Much safer than letting literally anyone drive around with jet fuel strapped to their car.
Even solar and wind energy do not compare. They have relatively large ecological footprints on the land. They take up massive amounts of what is often arable land and turn it into nothing but energy farming. Not to mention the maintenance and resources needed to build them.
Nuclear energy isn't a fuel source for transportation, of course. But I believe if we focus our efforts on solving the traditional concerns for energy then we will have more resources to then focus on finding a viable fuel source or figuring out new methods of energy delivery, which in my opinion is the only real alternative to 'fossil fuels'.