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A report from the National Academies says that the hydrogen economy will
take decades to unfold. Any positive impact on carbon dioxide emissions
and a reduction in oil imports will be minor for the next 25 years, the
report says. Now, for the real story: The report is too pessimistic
on the hydrogen economy and ignores several exciting new advances that
could move things along much faster. The discovery of gas hydrates, for
example -- frozen masses of hydrogen energy found on the ocean floor --
could radically accelerate progress. We've even seen technology that
could store these gas hydrates at liquid nitrogen temperatures, making
storage and distribution far safer than toting around highly compressed
hydrogen gas. There's also the development of microbial fuel cells,
which turn residential sewer waste into hydrogen and then electricity.
Also notable are advances in the production of low-cost solar cells,
which will soon be manufactured at a fraction of today's price. Solar
cells can produce hydrogen gas with nothing more than water (a process
called electrolysis). Cheap solar cells provide a reasonable basis for a
solar-hydrogen economy. On top of that, there is also tremendous
demand for cleaner fuels, cleaner vehicles and cleaner cities. In fact,
I believe the extent of this demand is typically underestimated in the
scientific community. For example, Toyota can't keep its hybrid vehicle
-- the Prius -- in stock. Lexus' upcoming hybrid SUV is already creating
a storm of consumer demand. People want cleaner vehicles, and they're
almost fanatical about doing whatever it takes to get them. In fact,
the success of hybrid vehicles paves the way for hydrogen-powered cars
in the future. Here's why: hybrid vehicles have a small gasoline engine
that charges the batteries and provides supplemental power. Thanks to
the design of such vehicles, the gasoline engine could easily be
replaced with a fuel cell running off hydrogen. The basic design of the
car stays the same; only the engine needs to be retrofitted. The
emergence of the hydrogen economy is no longer a technology issue --
technology exists right now to make it a reality. Rather, it is a
political issue. And as long as there's plenty of money to be made from
an oil economy, it's unlikely that federal regulators are going to
promote hydrogen. It also doesn't help that the Bush Administration
remains suspiciously interested in global oil supplies. Clearly, oil is
going to be around for many decades to come, yet hydrogen can coexist
with oil much quicker than the National Academies suspects. The key is
public demand, and that stems from public awareness.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a veteran of the software technology industry, having founded a personalized mass email software product used to deliver email newsletters to subscribers. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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