Nicholas Long's observations that 'obviously the best energy source is hydrogen...' (
Letters, 10 April) begged one vital question.
Hydrogen is basically a carrier of energy, not a source of it. Yes, it is abundant on the planet, but mainly as the product of its combustion — water.
Pretending that hydrogen itself is plentiful is like saying that the ash-pan is full, so we have plenty of solid fuel.
We must determine where the energy is to come from in order to make the hydrogen (i.e. generate it from water) before we can even talk about a hydrogen economy. This energy may be nuclear/solar/ hydro/tidal/wind/bio or — most likely — a combination of all these, but it has to come from somewhere.
Biofuels themselves are a source of energy today, and can be delivered to, and stored by, the user in ways already familiar to us — tankers and tanks.
Chris Finn,
Ideal Boilers, Hull
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