September 2nd, 2010
Accident at Hydrogen Fueling Station real challenge for Home Fueling
The confounders have come out in force to talk about the set back to hydrogen convergence caused by the accident at the hydrogen fueling station in Rochester, NY. We at the ebTDesign Forum would advise our readers and social media followers that the real losers are the advocates for hydrogen home fueling.
As you probably know if you have read any of the accounts, the accident happened during the process of changing bulk storage tanks not as a result of hydrogen fuel cell malfunction. There’s a reason you treat changing storage tanks at gasoline stations like a bomb disposal mission from the “Hurt Locker.”
Once the dust settles and clearer heads prevail, the only real changes you will see will be to the permitting process. As you know, we have always argued against putting home refueling stations in the critical path for hydrogen convergence. Commercially handling any flammable substance should done with extreme care by certified professionals.
Using confounder logic however would mean that you couldn’t own a gas barbeque grill. As you know, changing the propane tank on barbeque grills have historically resulted in house fires. However, you don’t hear these same people clamoring for the prohibition of cookouts. Even though, they probably should carry safety warnings.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: confounders, home fueling, hydrogen, permittingAugust 9th, 2010
Open Letter to Sec. Chu on Decision to Award $1 Billion to Clean Coal
Mr. Secretary,
Everyday the United States loses ground in the battle to lead the cleantech revolution. Yet you and the confounders at the Department of Energy (DOE) continue to push pseudo-solutions which guarantee that domestic sources of clean energy will compete with other.
The fossil fuel era is coming to an end and allocating $1 billion dollars in an attempt to extend it is a waste of tax payer’s money. We at the ebTDesign Forum would highly recommend redirecting the funding to the advancement of hydrogen convergence.
Post-Globalization, all traditional means of looking at things must be reconsidered. Nothing is sacred not even the subsidies for big coal. Otherwise, working and middle class Americans will spend the next two to three generations digging themselves out of the coal pit that you placed them.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: big coal, confounders, DOE, hydrogenJuly 6th, 2010
Is Home Refueling Critical for Hydrogen Convergence Success?
If you read most commentary on hydrogen convergence, you would think that the most important contributor to success will be home refueling. We at the ebTDesign Forum would advise community leaders and industry pioneers to think of this as a thinly veiled dinosaur attack.
Confounders at the DOE and other dinosaur nests like to use misdirection to slow down the advance of hydrogen convergence. Home refueling is an option for ICE (internal combustion engine) automobiles. Yet most home owners don’t choose it. In fact, most local zoning commissions would frown upon it.
The rationale for home hydrogen refueling is based on the potential convenience provided by plug-in hybrids. Electric Vehicle (EV) enthusiasts talk about simply recharging their cars while they sleep and never having to worry about going to a service station. This is a sci-fi pipedream. EV owners will spend more time at recharging stations as anyone who actively uses a cell phone or laptop computer can attest.
Don’t be fooled into placing the home refueling attribute into the critical path of your hydrogen convergence business case. We would propose deployment of distributed solar and wind energy applications as the proper conduits for residential participation. Surplus energy could be sold to regional hydrogen producers who could develop economies scale.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: confounders, dinosaur nests, DOE, hydrogenJune 1st, 2010
Is the DOE Hydrogen Merit Review Process Rigged?
Less than one week from the start of the DOE Hydrogen Merit Review Process, we at the ebTDesign Forum have to ask “Do you think that the process is rigged?” There were new hydrogen innovations announced almost every day. Yet the hydrogen research funding was once again cut and research on fossil fuel alternatives for use in fuel cells was increased.
This past year has clearly been extraordinary for the advancement of hydrogen convergence. Secretary Chu from the Depart of Energy wrote funding for hydrogen research out of the budget. However, like the mythical bird called the Phoenix the hydrogen convergence movement arose from the ashes and has taken flight.
As loyal readers and social media followers, we at the ebTDesign Forum have to ask “Do you still have faith in the merit review process as it is performed by the confounders at the DOE?” At the ebTDesign Forum, it appears to us that the DOE has chosen to ignore the obvious benefits of hydrogen convergence in order to pursue their dreams of a nuclear power renaissance.
Fortunately, the American people still have a say in how our energy security will be achieved. While the confounders want to turn the page on the Catastrophe on the Gulf Coast by saying accidents happen, the reality is that there are some economic risks that we can’t afford to take. Allowing the jobs that will be created by hydrogen convergence to move offshore is one of them. With your help, the days of playing catch up are over.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: confounders, DOE, hydrogen, merit reviewMay 18th, 2010
Whisper Date: 2013 for Hydrogen Convergence Upsurge
Recently, BMW announced that they were testing a new hydrogen fuel cell hybrid drivetrain for introduction in 2014. Contrary to DOE confounders and other industry experts, the goalposts are constantly moving closer. We at the ebTDesign Forum have always held that the more probable date for introduction of mass-produced hydrogen cars is 2013.
Last summer, the major automakers went before the United States Congress and assured them that hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles would be available by 2015. We suggest that this is just the outside date. Markets tend to reward companies that under promise and over deliver so beating the date by one year would be beneficial.
Post-Globalization, markets are all interconnected so there is no insulation from competition in other regions of the world. German hydrogen convergence community leaders expect 70% market penetration by 2015. Automakers must move much faster to keep from being shut out of the European marketplace. To that end, it is rumored that Ford has started testing its hydrogen fuel cell powered Escort in Scandinavia.
The ownership or financing structure for the 2013 releases of mass-produced hydrogen cars is unclear. However, German automakers will be starting to lease hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the United States this year. We at the ebTDesign Forum would advise readers and social media followers to ignore the head fake and prepare for the upsurge in hydrogen convergence.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: BMW, confounders, Ford, fuel cell, hydrogenApril 20th, 2010
Combining Cleantech Management and Hydrogen Convergence
Everyone can readily see the impact of the Internet on business development. However many don’t recognize the importance of computer resource management. We at the ebTDesign Forum would suggest that it was the changes in managing back-office processes that allowed the Internet to generate extraordinary value.
Hydrogen Convergence has the potential of doing the same for the management of “cleantech resources.” Management teams will need to be taught hydrogen convergence best practices. But, they will find that core value propositions aren’t very much different than the ones they have been using for the past decade to justify investment in web-based opportunities.
We would advise community leaders and industry pioneers that the time has come to build a case for hydrogen convergence using standard business rationale. In many cases, they will simply need to change the benefits conversation from avoiding eminent climate disaster to non-environmental opportunities for sustainable job growth. Hydrogen Convergence is the only cleantech option that makes sense with or without global warming.
Further more, we would suggest that the emotional appeal should be based on a desire to save the American Dream for future generations. Without hydrogen convergence, all of the other cleantech opportunities have fatal design flaws that would result in a diminished standard of living for working and middle class Americans. And, confounders at the DOE know this by definition is a non-starter.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: American-Dream, cleantech, confounders, DOE, hydrogenApril 4th, 2010
Hydrogen Convergence: Debunking the Water Vapor Fallacy
Of all the dinosaur attacks perpetrated against hydrogen convergence, the “water vapor fallacy” has been the most damaging. The water vapor fallacy states that hydrogen convergence is not a viable climate change mitigation strategy because hydrogen fuel cell technologies release water vapor into the atmosphere. The fallacy is that all electricity generation except for wind releases water vapor either directly or indirectly.
The most irrational component of the “water vapor fallacy” is that this dinosaur attack is most frequently used by advocates of the nuclear power industry. While 2/3 of the energy generated by nuclear power is dissipated by the discharge of steam (i.e., water vapor), the so-called gurus and nuclear power paid mercenaries speak of their heart felt concern that hydrogen convergence will lead to the release of climate changing water vapor.
The surrogates of the dinosaur lobbies are quick to point out [in their words] that hydrogen convergence is not emission free. However, we at the ebTDesign Forum would advise community leaders to counter this argument by asking them since when has rain water become the primary source of CO2 contaminates. Ask them which fossil fuel is burned to produce clean drinking water and why draining lakes and reservoirs is much more environmentally beneficial.
We would also suggest the development of “rainwater catchment systems” to capture the so-called excess water vapor that is “emitted” by hydrogen cars and other hydrogen fuel cell assets. The water from the rainwater catchment system could also be used in the steam methane reforming process or dirty water electrolysis to make hydrogen convergence drinking water neutral. This should quiet the confounders at least for the moment on this topic.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: confounders, dinosaur attacks, hydrogen, rainwater catchmentMarch 31st, 2010
Beware of Greenfield Scenarios for Hydrogen Convergence
Greenfield scenarios may in fact hide a more sinister dinosaur attack. Confounders would have you believe that hydrogen convergence won’t succeed because we have to start at ground zero. However, our friends at Proton Energy Systems remind us that there are large hydrogen production facilities close to almost every major city in the United States.
The United States produces about 9 million tons of hydrogen a year and that the 53 percent devoted to transportation would fuel approximately 21 million hydrogen cars. So the only missing piece for full blown hydrogen convergence is mass production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. And, confounders know that they are on schedule for market introduction in 2015.
There is almost never a need to start from ground zero with a cleantech cluster in an established community. There may be a need to upgrade the skill sets of one sector or another. Our research has shown, industry clusters are not formula driven cookie-cutter organizations. They survive and thrive based on unique regional differences and that those attributes are historic.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: confounders, dinosaur attack, fuel cell, hydrogenMarch 23rd, 2010
Cleantech Revolution Fueled by Hydrogen Convergence
Confounders like to play up the conflict between warring cleantech tribes. They know that the more things look unsettled the longer it will take for middle of the road consumers to engage. We at the ebTDesign Forum propose that community leaders use hydrogen convergence to insulate their cleantech business cases from this turmoil.
As you know, confounders are adept at raising reasonable doubt. They deal in absolute terms and ignore regional differences. And, it is the regional differences that create the most challenges for cleantech adoption. Hydrogen Convergence destroys this argument by postponing the discussion until there is a more general agreement to proceed.
At the ebTDesign Forum, we call this a level of abstraction. It is very difficult to make decisions about the health of a forest when you are looking at individual trees. Likewise, it is very difficult to make a decision about joining the cleantech revolution when debating individual solutions that may not make sense for your region. Hydrogen Convergence removes this ambiguity.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: cleantech tribes, confounders, hydrogenMarch 21st, 2010
Hydrogen Convergence destroys the Chicken or Egg Metaphor
Most people who have to deal with a false dilemma like “chicken or the egg” will choose to do nothing and wait for things to sort themselves out. Confounders know this which is why they like to frame the conversation this way. We at the ebTDesign Forum consider this particular discussion a dinosaur attack. We see it as a ploy to rationalize the decision to do nothing or sit on the sidelines while the jobs hydrogen convergence will produce move offshore.
The early stages of hydrogen convergence are working in the following states:
- California
- Connecticut
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Ohio
- South Carolina
- Texas
Concentrating on developing an innovation-infrastructure will help community leaders build the case that the “train is leaving the station.” This new metaphor more accurately frames the discussion for both upsiders and downsiders. Upsiders will intuitively want to jump on board for all the right P2P Economy reasons. And, the downsiders will see the value of not loosing our current standing in the post-Globalization marketplace.
Nothing is 100% correct not even history. History is constantly being revised. New sources of information are always being discovered which may potentially change our entire worldview. However, we as Americans have to be particularly skeptical of public relations experts and so-called gurus when they tell us to forget hydrogen convergence and ignore the innovation that’s happening right in front of our faces.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: confounders, dinosaur attack, downsiders, hydrogen, upsidersMarch 17th, 2010
Denying Americans their Hydrogen Convergence Futures
We at the ebTDesign Forum have noticed an increase in “dinosaur attacks” on hydrogen convergence colonies. Dinosaur Attacks are outlandish accusations leveled by climate change confounders and industry tourists to slow adoption of game changing technology like hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Fortunately, we have been expecting them and are prepared to help readers and social media followers defend themselves.
Dinosaur Attacks should not be confused with “downsider effects.” As previously published, downsiders are the far edge of the mainstream who are slow to react to technology upgrades. The difference is that downsiders are natural constituents of every technology innovation while dinosaur attacks are contrived utterances of paid mercenaries.
Readers and social media followers are warned to respect the danger of dinosaur attacks because dinosaur lobbies are well funded. And, they are very quick to defend their well padded nets. The real challenge is in discerning the difference between real-stakeholder concerns and dinosaur tactics that are contrived to deny Americans their hydrogen convergence futures.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: confounders, dinosaur attack, fuel cell, hydrogen, touristsMarch 10th, 2010
Impact of Hydrogen Convergence on the Supply of Drinking Water
The Timesonline is reporting a story about the very real possibility that Yemen could be the first country to run out of water. We at the ebTDesign Forum take this threat very seriously because of the hardship it portends for working and middle class Americans. Climate Change Confounders may debate the value of hydrogen convergence in terms of energy efficiency but they seldom discuss the potential benefits on the water supply.
The issue of drinking water is becoming a larger and larger concern because of the increased concentration of the American population in urban centers. The issue of water rights has always been contentious. However, the battles were waged between wealthy land developers and corporate farms. Now, it could turn into another form of class warfare.
The majority of the technical processes that drive hydrogen convergence will improve the supply of drinking water. First, the production of hydrogen from waste water will directly increase the supply of potable water. Second, the production of hydrogen from landfill gas will reduce the concentration of atmospheric methane which is a major contributor to global warming and climate instability.
Water shortages, if left unchecked, will undermine the stability of every government. This in turn will most likely lead to armed conflicts between have’s and have not’s. We at the ebTDesign Forum abhor the trade in dooms day scenarios. But, we cannot stress strongly enough the need to address water concerns via hydrogen convergence and the need to do so in a pro-job growth manner.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: climate instability, confounders, hydrogen, waterMarch 8th, 2010
Bringing Architecture Discipline to the Cleantech Challenge
As many of you know, the challenge for companies in the cleantech sector is how to describe the benefits of their business case without being sidetracked by climate change confounders. In other words, how to make them sticky without compromising the P2P Economy value? We at the ebTDesign Forum advise readers and social media followers to consider the practice of architecture discipline.
Architecture discipline requires adhering to at least three design considerations when developing an architecture description or investment thesis. The benefit for those who choose to practice this discipline is that an architecture description is inherently sticky. The three design considerations that we at the ebTDesign Forum most often propose are:
- Is it simple?
- Is it tangible?
- Is it relevant?
Climate Change Confounders are similar to industry tourists. Confounders are industry experts for hire. They miss use science and the scientific process to lesson the threat of CO2 emissions and other man made contributors. Industry tourists are subject matter experts for hire that come baring silver bullets. Both of these so-called gurus are most distinguished by their propensity for being out of town before the crash but after the checks have been cashed.
Institutional investors and other valued stakeholders constantly suffer from information overload and most cannot tell the difference between good-science versus bad-science without help. Confounders use this knowledge like lawyers in an attempt to raise reasonable doubt. Continued adherence to the concept of architecture discipline will neutralize this strategy because the value of good design is intuitively apparent.
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: architecture-discipline, cleantech, confounders, hydrogen, tourists