THE HYPE ABOUT HYDROGEN : FACT AND FICTION IN THE RACE TO SAVE THE CLIMATE PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Joseph J. Romm | 256 pages | 15 Jul 2005 | Island Press | 9781559637046 | English | Washington, United States The Hype About Hydrogen : Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate PDF Book New York: Island Press, Dec 27, David R. Hydrogen and fuel cell cars are being hyped today as few technologies have ever been. If by the per capita energy consumption of China and India were to approach that of South Korea, and if the Chinese and Indian populations increase at currently projected rates, those two supergiant countries by themselves would consume more oil than the entire world did in PW Picks: Books of the Week. Discover what to read next. Hydrogen could be generated from renewable electricity, but that would be even more expensive and, as discussed below, renewable electricity has better uses for the next few decades. In its conclusion, the book states that hydrogen will not be widely available as a transportation fuel for a long time, and describes other strategies, including energy conservation techniques, to combat global warming. The U. Yet any significant shift toward cars running on distributed hydrogen from natural gas or grid electrolysis would undermine efforts to fight global warming. What to do and how to do it? That will require some way of delivering massive quantities of hydrogen to tens of thousands of local fueling stations. In a plug-in hybrid, the process of electricity transmission, charging an onboard battery and discharging the battery would leave 75 to 80 percent of the original electricity to drive the motor. When I helped oversee the hydrogen and fuel cell and alternative vehicle programs at the Energy Departments Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in the s, I was a big supporter of hydrogen and transportation fuel cell vehicle FCV programs, helping to boost the funding for those programs substantially. Finally, natural gas has too much economic and environmental value to the electric utility, industrial, and building sectors to justify diverting significant quantities to the transportation sector, thereby increasing the price for all users. Burning a gallon of gasoline releases about 20 pounds of CO 2. Natural gas is no bridge to a better future. This debate will not be resolved here, but it does appear credible that oil production will peak in the first half of this century and will possibly decline at a relatively rapid rate thereafter, even as demand increases. This does not sound clean or "pollution-free". Worry about oil supplies is one of the factors behind Shell's growing research into hydrogen see Chapter 7. Hydrogen, first and foremost, is not a primary fuel, like natural gas or coal or wood, which we can drill or dig for or chop down and then use at once. Hydrogen burns nearly invisibly, and people have unwittingly stepped into hydrogen flames. Even with technology advances, a metric-ton truck might deliver only about kg of hydrogen into onsite high-pressure storage. Canada has a significant program because of the leadership of Ballard Power Systems Inc. The Hype About Hydrogen : Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate Writer Most oil is used in transportation. The real deal on the future of the hydrogen economy Having read Jeremy Rifkin's interesting, but rose-colored and somewhat tangential take on the future of the hydrogen fuel cell: The Hydrogen Economy: The Creation of the World-Wide Energy Web and the Redistribution of Power on Earth , I was pleased to read something from a full-time energy professional. From hybrid cars to fuel cells: Is technology moving us closer to a hydrogen fix? Add links. Mar 07, Mark rated it liked it Shelves: nonfiction. Between and , the International Energy Agency projects that coal generation will double. Only a limited number of fuels are plausible alternatives for gasoline, and one enormous benefit of hydrogen over others is that it can be generated by a variety of different sources, thus potentially minimizing dependence on any one. In addition, any high-pressure storage tank presents a risk of rupture. The high-risk and long-payback nature of this investment would seem far too great for most investors, especially given the history of alternative fuel vehicles. But first: a brief history of the California Hydrogen Highway Network. Most of a CH 4 -based investment would also likely be stranded once the ultimate transition to a pure hydrogen economy was made, because that would almost certainly rely on centralized production and not make use of small CH 4 reformers. The difficulties involved in the transition to hydrogen will likely be as much organizational and institutional as technical. Right now, not only is electricity ubiquitous i. Centralized production of hydrogen is the ultimate goal. Who will spend the hundreds of billions of dollars on a wholly new nationwide infrastructure to provide ready access to hydrogen for consumers with fuel cell vehicles until millions of hydrogen vehicles are on the road? Fuel cells are one of the Holy Grails of energy technology see Chapter 2. Plug-ins would be better at utilizing zero-carbon electricity because the overall hydrogen fueling process is inherently costly and inefficient. Hydrogen, however, will escape quickly into the atmosphere as a very diffuse gas. More Books by Joseph J. Thus, beyond limited pilot stations, it would be unwise to build thousands of local refueling stations based on steam CH 4 reforming or, for that matter, based on any technology not easily adaptable to delivery of greenhouse gas-free hydrogen. It then reviews the issue of the greenhouse effect and offers four reasons why hydrogen would not be useful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions:. So why buy one? Thus, delaying action until we are past the peak may put us at significant risk. His central chapter lays out the case for global warming and the potential for catastrophic climate change in the next few decades. CO2 emissions forecast for Showing Leonardo Maia rated it liked it Nov 24, Building these coal plants would dramatically increase the chances of catastrophic climate change. As Romm Cool Companies , a former Department of Energy official in the Clinton administration, points out, however, hydrogen is an energy carrier, not an energy source at least until we tame nuclear fusion. The history of hydrogen and its methods of production are then described. Ongoing efforts are exploring higher pressure storage at up to 10, psi, liquid hydrogen storage, and other solid and liquid forms of storage such as metal hydrides, organic hydrides, and carbon fibers among other options. But on Earth, it is bound up tightly in molecules of water, coal, natural gas, and so on. The United States has a great deal of relevant experience in the area of alternative fuel vehicles that is often ignored in discussions about hydrogen. The plan touches on this, but almost certainly underestimates its importance in supporting the large market changes that will clearly be required. Since only "a limited number of fuels are plausible alternatives for gasoline" p. So, what's that mean? William Clay Ford Jr. However, many automotive and energy companies and leading transportation energy analysts are leaning towards fuel cell or combustion engine vehicles running on hydrogen as the best options for the next dominant design in automobiles. Joseph Romm. For these reasons, hydrogen is subject to strict and cumbersome codes and standards, especially when used in an enclosed space where a leak might create a growing gas bubble. Typical commercial electrolysis units require about 50 kilowatt- hours per kg, an energy efficiency of 70 percent. To unbind it, a great deal of energy must be used. Lists with This Book. Straight Up. I miss the electric car. However, such a dramatic step forward in vehicle technology and energy infrastructure presents huge challenges. Mark A. A good read! Using nuclear power to make hydrogen is "a long stretch," he says. The Hype About Hydrogen : Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate Reviews Over 1 million new vehicles are purchased each year in California. Since oil is a finite, nonrenewable resource, analysts have attempted to predict when production will peak and start declining. Original Title. Romm See All. Funding for hybrid vehicles, including fuel cells, was significantly increased. It is generated through the conversion of another fuel source, such as natural gas, usually by electrolysis, and can be stored for later use and reconverted into power. This is a big advantage. It then reviews the issue of the greenhouse effect and offers four reasons why hydrogen would not be useful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions:. A tedious jeremiad. These efforts may be important to both environmental and economic vitality in the state. Others might not be so fascinated. Only a limited number of fuels are plausible alternatives for gasoline, and one enormous benefit of hydrogen over others is that it can be generated by a variety of different sources, thus potentially minimizing dependence on any one. Any effective hydrogen economy would require an infrastructure that could use zero-carbon power to electrolyze water into hydrogen, convey this highly diffuse gas long distances, and pump it at high pressure into the car -— all for the purpose of converting the hydrogen back to electricity in a fuel cell to drive electric motor. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. As Romm Cool Companies , a former Department of Energy official in the Clinton administration, points out, however, hydrogen is an energy carrier, not an energy source at least until we tame nuclear fusion.