What persuaded the government to make the Space Race a national priority was the pressing strategic need to prevent the Russians from controlling the high frontier. "Oil is an indulgence", "save the environment" and other perceived "soft" arguments don't have a high enough alarm quotient. Even occasional military action to protect oil sources is not seen as a dire problem. Fuel cells are the future. To get the government to mobilize as it did during the 50s/60s needs a similar national security argument.