03-18-2008, 02:38 PM
First, JWFITZ, I am very respectful of what you're doing. You're not satisfied with the status quo, you've done some research, gathered information and ideas, and most importantly, you're DOING something to change the way you use energy.
Secondly, all of what you said as the obstacles or impediments to the development of a hydrogen economy are true. They are many, and they are huge.
What I was trying to say is that, for a lot of reasons, burning carbon is something we need to get away from, particularly in Hawaii. Most importantly, the cleanliness of burning hydrogen is unquestionable. Decreasing our reliance on foreign energy sources is important. Developing the renewable, cleaner, greener energy sources to extract hydrogen to burn cleanly is going to be good for us all, on several levels: We've exported much of our manufacturing capacity overseas, this is a whole new chunk of our GDP that we can devote to our young people as engineers and researchers, manufacturers and technicians, infrastructure (power grid, filling station, fuel cell recycling, etc.), construction, and on and on. I see it as huge as the conversion a century ago from hay-burning horse power (not horsepower) to the combustion engine.
There is a movement to develop a hydrogen economy, with for-profit corporations, non-profit organizations, and a variety of governments all on board, around the globe. The ball is rolling. It will take years to develop to fruition, perhaps a decade or more until you see as many hydrogen vehicles on the road as you now see hybrids, perhaps several decades until all the petrochemical automobiles, refineries, and infrastructure is gone. But I believe it will go. And the sooner, the better.
Hybrid vehicles are a good parallel. A decade ago, there were none. 5 years ago, you saw a couple, with only one or two manufacturers even offering a hybrid model for sale. Now, there are many on the road, and even Ford, General Motors, and Dodge/Chrysler offer several models. Here is an interesting timeline. In the near future, perhaps 5 years or so, most passenger automobiles (not trucks) will be hybrid.
Hydrogen will follow a similar path, only it's twenty years or so behind hybrid technology.
Until then, good luck on the Holtzman gas thing, and anything else you can come up with to combat Exxon, Venezuela, and Ford.
Aloha! ;-)
Secondly, all of what you said as the obstacles or impediments to the development of a hydrogen economy are true. They are many, and they are huge.
What I was trying to say is that, for a lot of reasons, burning carbon is something we need to get away from, particularly in Hawaii. Most importantly, the cleanliness of burning hydrogen is unquestionable. Decreasing our reliance on foreign energy sources is important. Developing the renewable, cleaner, greener energy sources to extract hydrogen to burn cleanly is going to be good for us all, on several levels: We've exported much of our manufacturing capacity overseas, this is a whole new chunk of our GDP that we can devote to our young people as engineers and researchers, manufacturers and technicians, infrastructure (power grid, filling station, fuel cell recycling, etc.), construction, and on and on. I see it as huge as the conversion a century ago from hay-burning horse power (not horsepower) to the combustion engine.
There is a movement to develop a hydrogen economy, with for-profit corporations, non-profit organizations, and a variety of governments all on board, around the globe. The ball is rolling. It will take years to develop to fruition, perhaps a decade or more until you see as many hydrogen vehicles on the road as you now see hybrids, perhaps several decades until all the petrochemical automobiles, refineries, and infrastructure is gone. But I believe it will go. And the sooner, the better.
Hybrid vehicles are a good parallel. A decade ago, there were none. 5 years ago, you saw a couple, with only one or two manufacturers even offering a hybrid model for sale. Now, there are many on the road, and even Ford, General Motors, and Dodge/Chrysler offer several models. Here is an interesting timeline. In the near future, perhaps 5 years or so, most passenger automobiles (not trucks) will be hybrid.
Hydrogen will follow a similar path, only it's twenty years or so behind hybrid technology.
Until then, good luck on the Holtzman gas thing, and anything else you can come up with to combat Exxon, Venezuela, and Ford.
Aloha! ;-)
Aloha! ;-)