One of the perks of being a Hill staffer is access to cool new technologies when lobbyists visit. And so in 2006, I looped around D and 2nd in a hydrogen car. When I asked the nice man who brought the vehicle about safety and the inherent 'chicken and egg' problem (cars and fueling stations - which comes first?), he provided a clearly scripted response intended to brush off public concerns. I was sure he'd repeated it dozens of times that afternoon and--needless to say--I wasn't convinced. * * * * * * * On Monday when I announced my new position with UT's Webber Energy Group, some commentors inquired about hydrogen. In short, despite all the hype, it's unlikely to become a significant source of energy. I'll explain what makes this energy carrier appealing, followed by outlining its detractors, especially regarding use in personal vehicles. Hydrogen has superior energy density compared other fuels (a whopping 120 MJ/ kg in the liquid form). You may remember that George W. Bush often brought up the way its combustion yields water avoiding emissions. He committed over $1 billion to the development of a hydrogen car. And it's true that fuel cells can produce electricity with ...