Young Writers Contest

It is 1806 and Francois Isaac de Riva, a Swiss Inventor, makes the first combustion engine. This engine is not like the common four-stroke engines of today because it ran on a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. One year later he invents the first automobile, which only emits water vapor, but it was never commercially successful. Because of this, if I were able to go back to the past to make the future better, I would go back and help Francois Isaac de Riva perfect his engine and car design, hopefully making it the first type of automobile to be mass produced and distributed to the public. With no green house gas emission from vehicles, this would cause the future to have less air pollution problems.

To make Francoise’s engine and car better, I would have to bring several items with me to the past. One of these would be Mazda’s Wankel engine design. This engine was invented in the 1960’s and it is a simple and efficient engine that uses rotors instead of pistons. This allows it to make more power than the average four-stroke engine. Other things I would bring with me would be BMW’s super car design, in a simpler form, or Audi’s A2H2 car. Both of these run on hydrogen fuel and other advanced tools that do not require electricity, that Francoise might need to put his car together. Also, while I am there, I would help de Riva find ways to mass-produce his product and a way to advertize it to get in on the market. This would get the hydrogen-fueled cars ahead of the gas powered engine cars.

I think by doing this, it would make the future better because hydrogen cars emit water vapor instead of greenhouse gas. In 2001 there was an estimated 450 million passenger cars in the world. Having 450 million hydrogen cars might have prevented global warming from occurring, or fight the greenhouse gases produced by factories and other fossil fuel run facilities because the water vapor given off by hydrogen cars improves air quality. Also, many countries, like America, who depend on foreign energy sources, would not have to depend on them nearly as much. The reason for this is that hydrogen can be easily produced from water, as well as many other sources like landfill waste, wastewater or sewer type water, and even livestock waste. Hydrogen fuels energy output is 20% more efficient than oil. Therefore, it is more cost effective, so it benefits us financially.

In conclusion, going back to 1806 to Francois Isaac de Riva, and giving him items to make his hydrogen run engine and car would make the future better. It might become the most popular car, and, hopefully make global warming non-existent.

Tajhay was in 7th Grade when this was completed. He is currently an 8th Grader.