Alternet on the Hydrogen Economy
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.30.07
I like Alternet and read it daily; I share its left wing politics and my name is Alter. I didn't like "Is the Hydrogen Age Just Around the Corner?" that suggested that we "examine the critics' misconceptions about hydrogen." They challenge five "myths" but only one really matters.
Few would disagree with 4/5 of the article, if there was lots of hydrogen around we could probably safely transport it and use it. The problem is the 1/5 that says that "The production of hydrogen is already a large, mature industry" - making it from natural gas for the oil refineries. We are at or approaching peak gas, and nobody is going to build a hydrogen economy around the existing "large, mature industry," the gas is booked already for heat, chemicals and the tar sands. If you take natural gas out of the equation, then hydrogen comes from electrolysis and it is a battery, a storage medium, and not a particularly efficient one.
In fact, the hydrogen economy is step three in the authors' real agenda, which is energy independence from mideast oil, and if you have to make hydrogen from natural gas that's just fine in the short term. In their book, Freedom From Mid-East Oil they suggest two intermediate steps including "vast improvements in automobile efficiency through hydrogen fuel-efficient and flexible-fuel vehicles in the short term, in hybrids and plug-in hybrids in the mid-term (2010-2015), and in advanced materials plugin hybrids and fuel cell vehicles in the long term (2015-2025 and beyond)."
Step 2 is "acceleration of the domestic and international biofuels industry, primarily through corn-based ethanol in the short term; through corn- and sugar-based ethanol (sugar cane, sugar beets) in the mid-term; and ultimately through cellulosic biomass feedstocks, which will not complete with food or animal feed supplies, in the long term."
The Hydrogen economy comes into play in step three, "transition to advanced- materials hydrogen fuel cell vehicles which use as feedstocks, cellulosic ethanol and/or hydrogen, the latter generated from distributed “trickle-charge” electrolysis plants."
all "within 10 years with existing technology and no new taxes."
TreeHugger loves optimistic, positive plans, technological fixes and no new taxes. But this all sounds like fantasyland. ::Alternet
I read the Alternet article and completely agree with you. It really caught me by surprise. Most Alternet articles are left leaning (thumbs up) but grounded in fact. The claim that we have a mature hydrogen industry is completely misleading. You could say we have a mature electric car industry too since there have been a smattering of electric cars made since the early 1900's. When someone figures out how to extract hydrogen from water or some other renewable resource using less energy than the extracted hydrogen contains, then I'll agree that the age of hydrogen has arrived.
I agree that hydrogen is just a battery and that efficiency is less than a pure electric (battery powered) car. I still think that hydrogen should be investigated as a possible short to mid term solution, at least. The energy density by both volume and mass of compressed hydrogen is many times that of any current battery technology. More people will be willing to move away from hydrocarbon fuels if they feel it won't adversely affect their lives. Until the range of electrics is greatly increased, few will be willing to switch. In addition, I am of the opinion that no one technology is the right choice but that many will be used side by side.
What do you mean we don't have a mature hydrogen economy? Doesn't the hydrogen delivery man come to your doorstep every week and deliver a fuel cell and collect your spent one? You are soooo 21st century!
"Doesn't the hydrogen delivery man come to your doorstep every week and deliver a fuel cell and collect your spent one?"
You must be referring to Hydroman, the 21st century superhero who streaks through the skies in his hydrogen powered jet pack and polycarbonate thong, delivering hydrogen to the enviro-conscious masses. Well, we don't need him anymore since we purchased the new Hydromatic 3000 -- it pulls hydrogen and facts out of thin air and runs on unrefined hype, of which we seem to have an endless supply.
i agree with you because we need to help save our world.And i we do then it well help global warming to!.So people if you are reading this.Then you should agree to!..=]