Hydrogen Economy
Power For Cars, Homes, Businesses
and Travel
The hydrogen economy makes many promises for a cleaner, less
fossil fuel dependent future. Having a hydrogen economy means
first that cars will be using fuel cells or hydrogen-powered internal
combustion engines that create zero greenhouse gases, zero pollution
and provide more energy than the current fossil fuels.
The hydrogen economy not only promises hydrogen-powered cars,
though. Having a hydrogen-based economy means so much more. Vehicles,
not just cars will be H2-based. Trucks, SUVs, minivans, motorcycles,
buses, trains, watercraft and aircraft will all eventually be
converted over to clean-burning hydrogen energy.
Hydrogen highways, waterways and skyways will revolutionize
how people travel. The hole in the ozone will shrink instead of
expand and global warming will cool and the planet will start
to heal from all the pollutants that man has spewed upon it since
the Industrial Revolution was initiated. Oil will not longer be
held above are heads as a bargaining chip or even a threat from
the Middle East.
In order to have a hydrogen economy, we must first have a hydrogen
highway with H2-powered vehicles traveling upon it. For this to
happen the infrastructure, such as hydrogen fueling stations have
to be in place. Right now, most states have budgeted for such
hydrogen fueling stations and in California there are 23 such
stations.
In the future of the hydrogen economy, though, fueling stations
will be able to produce their own hydrogen, by plugging into the
electrical grid in off-peak hours and generating all the hydrogen
they'll need for the next day's business.
Businesses themselves will also be able to generate their own
hydrogen to power large corporate buildings in such a manner as
well. Or they'll buy hydrogen as the main power source that is
not subject to blackout from the electric grid such as Verizon
on the East Coast is doing right now. And of course, in the hydrogen
economy of the future, homes will be powered by hydrogen. At first,
homeowners will probably plug into the electrical grid at night
and generate hydrogen for both home and vehicles.
As the technology develops, many homes will be able to use solar
power to generate electrical current and perform electrolysis,
which will in turn, turn water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen
will be used to power homes and vehicles. In windy areas, homes
and businesses may even have small wind turbines on their roofs
and properties, generating electricity and creating hydrogen as
well.
Why base a whole economy on hydrogen, though? Hydrogen is the
most prevalent element in the universe. Hydrogen is however mostly
found in compounds such as water or natural gas and must be extracted
in order to be used. Hydrogen is called an "energy carrier".
Critics argue that extracting hydrogen will mean more coal will
have to be burned in order to generate the needed electricity
for the electrolysis of water into hydrogen to happen. Others
disagree.
Electricity can be generated by solar power, wind power, hydroelectric
(dams) power, geothermal, tidal and wave power and, yes, even
nuclear power. Methods such as steam reforming of natural gas
can also be used to extract hydrogen and is in fact the most-often
used method right now. As time goes on though technology will
work out the kinks that will be needed to manufacture, store and
distribute hydrogen to a fueling station or Home Depot near you
from clean, renewable resources.
Yes, we may be ahead of ourselves by 5 or 10 years when talking
about a hydrogen economy free from foreign influence and OPEC
absurdity. But remember a thing called the Internet a few years
back and how it has become mainstream now? Remember when cellular
phones were big clunky things that nobody thought would catch
on?
The hydrogen economy will catch on. It'll catch on because it
makes sense and people want it and need it. People are tired of
high gasoline prices, high electric bills, greenhouse gases causing
lung and other respiratory and heart disease, global warming melting
the ice caps, causing tsunamis and hurricanes and what not. And
with peak oil just 3 - 15 years away, we must start moving to
hydrogen now.
The hydrogen economy makes environmental sense and one day,
not too far away, it'll make economic sense as well. In fact,
for some in the hydrogen industry it is making economic sense
right now. Aside from companies taking government subsidies, some
are standing on their own feet and profiting we from hydrogen
technology. The future is closer than you think.
Will you be ready when the hydrogen economy arrives? If not,
it may just sneak up on you.
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