Hot Air and Light Gas

I stumbled across CNN today, and saw that they were promoting the "Crisis in the Middle East - Day 12" as their lead story - which, of course it is. The thing I had a problem with was that they are calling it "Day 12". Isn't it more like "Day 12 million"? When haven't they had some crisis over there? Here's a story idea: Day 12 - Nothing going on in Israel. One religious group or another has been fighting another religious group since the dawn of time, and it isn't about to end anytime soon, Condoleezza Rice notwithstanding.

The sad part is, our God has placed the world's most important commodity - oil - smack in the middle of that gang of religious kooks. What a cruel joke on humanity. Usually, I would say that what happens elsewhere is none of our business, and I suppose to some extent it is. But, with the price of gasoline soon to be close to $4 a gallon, it does become our problem. All of which makes me an interested bystander in this new development from the People's Republic of China:

SHANGHAI, China - Shanghai's Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies decided to start small. Really small. This month, it will begin sales of a tiny hydrogen fuel-cell car, complete with its own miniature solar-powered refueling station. The toy is a step toward introducing the technology to the public and making it commercially viable. Horizon envisions neighborhood systems of small shops providing refills for small hydrogen canisters to families, much as they now sell tanks of liquid petroleum gas or propane for stoves and heaters. The canisters could be used to power scooters or small, electric cars suitable for short jaunts. Bigger fuel cell companies like Canada's Ballard Power Systems are working with governments in Europe, the United States and large Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai to build fuel-cell demonstration programs for buses and other public transport.

Let's hope that the technology gets a chance, and that somehow, the huge oil companies can get involved, so that people like us have a chance to drive a vehicle that doesn't run on the fuel of choice for religious zealots and hate-mongers - and the Bush administration.