"Hydrogen is arguably the most dangerous gas in a lab. If you don't take every precaution there will be an explosion, and it doesn't take a lot of H2 to cause a big bang. Of course when it does combust, it is much cleaner than gasoline, so when an entire station goes up, it's true, it will at least be a clean burn."Those are my son's words. He's some kind of chemist or something. What the hell does a chemist know about hydrogen?
Local Congressman Charlie Dent is a co-founder of the House Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Caucus. He even wants to convert Route 78 into a hydrogen highway. Dent's congressional website tell us "Interstate 78 is uniquely situated and suited to be a gateway to the hydrogen economy - the Hydrogen Highway East." A hydrogen network will (1) decrease our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels; (2) protect our citizens and preserve our environment from the harmful effects of vehicle emissions; and (3) mitigate traffic and congestion.
Now Lehigh County appears to be jumping on the H2 express.
County Commissioner Percy Dougherty said he sees the Lehigh Valley as taking a leading role globally in the use and production of hydrogen, in part because of Air Products and Chemicals' work on the element. "It in my opinion is going to be the fuel of the future," said Dougherty.
From Popular Science Magazine May 2007 regarding hydrogen as the future of automobile power - "Despite the technological dog and pony shows, no automaker is close to bringing hydrogen cars to showrooms. Hydrogen skeptics insist that its production inefficiencies doom it as a fuel for passenger cars. By the time the tech(nology) is ready, hybrids, diesels, plugins and other fuel sippers will only have gotten better, cleaner and more affordable-and harder to dislodge in the market." But Bernie, what the hell do scientists know? Politicians are always right, right? Politicians don't have any agendas, do they?
ReplyDeleteso we're gonna have blimps and zepellins on 78? that would really be kinda cool.
ReplyDeletehow much money do these politicians take from Air Products executives and their PAC?
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:05!
ReplyDeleteCancel your subscrption at POPULAR sCIENCE. BMW is not just bringing H2 cars to showroom, theyu are actually in production. I blogged about it on March 30.
I don't think any form of alternative fuel has an up on the other.
Hydrogen will not decrease our dependency on foreign energy.
ReplyDeleteThe creation of hydrogen (separating the "h" form the "20", or by getting if from the air) requires more energy than you get from the hydrogen itself.
Hydrogen is another fossil fuel USER. This is the last thing we need.
LVDem,
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Air Products actually being part of the answerr to our fuel crisis. This is a local employer and we are starting to suffer the effects of peak oil.
Dent is a major bene of Air Products campaign contributions. I don't know about Cunningham or his pals in LC. I haven't checked.
Anon 8:04,
ReplyDeleteAcually, that's no longer true. You must read Popular Science, too. H2 production does not require more energy than you get from production itself. It's now about 1.5 to 1.
There are ways to manufacture H2 w/o burning fossil fule, although that's the most common way right now. Electricity comes from fossil fuel, too. What we do is find other ways, and there are other ways for h2.
Remember, there is no silver bullet. H2 is a answer, but is not the answer. Condemning it out of hand is unwise. It's worth exploring, as is everything else.
Compressed-hydrogen cars are already on the road in California and Europe.
ReplyDeleteHere are some other facts Popular Science (the name says it all) neglected to mention: Hybrids use oil. "Clean" diesel produces carbon emissions. Plugins use electricity, which today is generated mostly by coal and natural gas. These immediate payoff technologies maintain fossil fuel usage, and in the long-term could actually INCREASE our reliance. They are for Popular Environmentalists.
Hydrogen emits water vapor at the end use level. True, hydrogen today is mostly derived as a byproduct of fossil fuel production(meaning its immediately available without disrupting food supplies and markets) but new technologies are being developed for clean sources.
Also, hydrogen fuel cell technology isn't just about cars, it's also being developed to power homes off the grid.
Unlike the immediate payoff technologies, there is actually a long-term plan for hydrogen to supplant fossil fuels -- limit carbon emissions to source-level production, and as new clean sources are developed, fossil fuels drop off (it is the most abundant element in the universe, we won't run out).
It's a long-term plan which is why most people aren't interested, sadly.
i like local companies being part of the solution too, but understand that Dent and others have an incentive to make them part of the solution. That includes funneling gov't grants to them.
ReplyDeleteI would hardly take any politician's call to assist Air Products solely as a call to solve energy problems. They're helping an energy company in the district. Not saying that's good or bad, but it's not entirely noble.
Besides, I like major explosions (if that critique of H2 is accurate). Who doesn't? (see 4th of July celebration)