Fuel Cell Technology

Exxon Mobil and General Motors’ attempt to portray gasoline fuel cells as a win for the environment and consumers [“Exxon, GM Report Major Fuel-Cell Technology Gain,” Aug. 11] is a case of corporate spin. While oil company executives may win, the environment and public health will lose.

There is no reason to cram yesterday’s fuel into tomorrow’s technology. The excitement about fuel cells lies in their ability to provide a zero-emission future; burdening them with gasoline’s pollution undermines this promise. And hydrogen and methanol fuel cells are closer to commercial production than gasoline ones. Fuel cells that run on clean fuels put us in the fast lane to ending smoggy skies and oil dependence. Why take a detour through gasoline?

JASON MARK

Union of Concerned Scientists

Berkeley