Before the Industrial Revolution, man based most of their technology on the burning of natural gasses or fossil fuels. The constant breakdown of these elements over time has released large amounts of harmful chemicals and gasses into the atmosphere. Global warming is just one of the many results that has been derived from this process. Its effects are constantly changing the environment all over the world. Less oxygen has caused more people to develop asthma and breathing problems. Acid rain has been killing plant life which provides oxygen which is a necessary element that all animals need to live. The effects of mans ways has cost him greatly but, there is a new alternative to the energy crisis which plagues mankind. .
A new era in the history of energy sources is called fuel cell technology. The first fuel cell was built in 1839 by Sir William Grove, a Welsh judge and gentleman scientist. However, his new ideas of a new power source were not taken seriously until long after his death. Serious interest in the fuel cell as a practical generator did not begin until the 1960's, when the U.S. space program chose fuel cells over riskier nuclear power and more expensive solar energy. According to www.fuelcells.org. The fuel cell was much more efficient for them. Its only byproducts are heat and water. In all actuality, it is the perfect form of energy. Electricity was produced to power the ships or satellites and at the same time, water was being produced for the crew to drink. The heat that is produced from the process was also used. Scientists were able to use the heat from the fuel cells to actually heat the shuttle and the water which the astronauts used to bathe. .
The concept behind fuel cells is actually very easy to understand. According to www.howstuffworks.com, A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat.
