February 28th, 2010
Hydrogen Convergence Safest Path to Carbon Reductions
The scientists who have been developing the forecast for climate change agree that an 80% carbon reduction must be attained by 2050 to avert climate change calamity. Now there are numerous ideas for achieving this goal but hydrogen convergence is by far the safest path to carbon reduction and sustainable job growth.
The leading contender in the minds of some is nuclear energy. However, the nuclear power industry had its day in the sun during the 1950’s. Now it’s time to face the political reality that no one wants to live and raise children next to nuclear waste dumps. Also, there are way too many “big rig truck” accidents to seriously consider offsite storage of nuclear waste.
Dinosaurs die hard because it’s difficult to kill a revenue generating technology. However, some of us lived in Europe just after the Chernobyl nuclear power disaster and we can tell you that neighboring countries were very upset with the Russians. Imagine our balance of trade with Canada and Mexico, our two most important trading partners, in the aftermath of a nuclear power disaster like Chernobyl. You think that the “Great Recession” is bad?
For the rest, there is renewable energy. However the proponents of these electricity-only strategies dismiss the “downsider effect” on public opinion and the willingness of local leaders to delay projects that they agree with in theory. Renewable energy advocates turn a tin-ear to downsider concerns about community character in light of cleantech tribal desires for carbon neutral energy.
The safest most environmentally cost effective means of reaching the 80% carbon reduction target is hydrogen convergence. Producing hydrogen from natural gas could achieve a 50% carbon reduction today. Add on algal carbon sequestration and that process drops close to zero. Additional hydrogen generation from waste gases and renewable energy could then easily combine to make up the 30% difference needed to meet the 2050 goal.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: carbon reduction, Chernobyl, downsider effect, hydrogen