The Future of Hydrogen Vehicles

by Chuck Hall

 

There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about the idea of hydrogen power. I’ve heard from a lot of people who think about hydrogen bombs and the Hindenburg when they think about hydrogen fuels. They think that if we use hydrogen as a power source we’re flirting with disaster. I’d like to clear up a few of these misconceptions.

First off, hydrogen bombs and hydrogen fuel are entirely different animals. A hydrogen bomb is a fusion bomb. Hydrogen itself, however, is not radioactive. If it were, drinking a glass of water would kill you. The hydrogen in an atomic weapon has undergone a lot of transformation that just wouldn’t happen in a hydrogen vehicle.

As for the Hindenburg, recent studies have shown that the explosion of that airship had more to do with the ‘dope’ used to paint the outer skin than with the hydrogen within. This doping compound used to paint the Hindenburg actually contained many of the components found in rocket fuel, and was the source of the original fire that subsequently ignited the hydrogen. This is not to say that hydrogen isn’t combustible. Any fuel that can be used to produce energy is combustible, or it wouldn’t produce energy in the first place. The gasoline and the diesel fuel most vehicles burn today are combustible as well. The difference is that we are familiar with the hazards associated with gasoline and diesel engines, so they don’t seem quite so scary. While there are inherent risks in handling any combustible material, I believe that hydrogen is far safer overall than the fuels we use today.

To start with, hydrogen is a much cleaner fuel than petroleum-based fossil fuels. When hydrogen burns, the by-product is water. That’s all. No greenhouse gases, no heavy metals, no pollutants. In addition, hydrogen is lighter than air. In any accident in which a hydrogen fuel tank is pierced, the combustible hydrogen floats up into the atmosphere and away from the vehicle. With petroleum fuels, in case of a leak the fuel falls to the pavement below the vehicle where it can be easily ignited.

Finally, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe. There is not likely to ever be a shortage of hydrogen, as when it burns it creates water as a by-product, and this water can be used to obtain more hydrogen. Our planet is two-thirds water, and hydrogen is one of the components of water. At the present time splitting hydrogen from water isn’t the most efficient method of obtaining it, but as technology progresses that could change.

Hydrogen is a clean, abundant source of fuel, but there are drawbacks to a hydrogen economy as well. One drawback is the storage medium. Hydrogen is a gas, not a liquid like gasoline. In order to store enough hydrogen to give a car a 300-mile range, it would have to be stored in a tank at about 1500 psi of pressure. Another drawback is that the cheapest way to extract hydrogen at the present time is to get it from natural gas. Natural gas is not a renewable resource, so in that instance we’re just trading one problem for another. There are promising solutions on the horizon, however. One method that has potential is to use bacteria to extract hydrogen from methane. Another is to store hydrogen in a chemical compound so that it is a solid rather than a gas.

Any old farmer could tell you that you should never put all your eggs in one basket. That’s where we are right now in our dependence on fossil fuels. Hydrogen probably won’t be the only ‘egg’ in our future basket of fuels, but it could be one of many if we can work out a few of the technical challenges. Time will tell.

The Global Cookie Jar

by Chuck Hall

I grew up on a farm in rural Upstate South Carolina in the late 1960s. I remember the chores around the farm, but more importantly I remember the connection with nature I developed from living in the country. I’ve watched my children grow up in a suburban existence and sometimes I wonder what they may have missed out on. When I was a child I played in the woods. Nowadays it takes an act of Congress to get the kids away from the Playstation. What would it take to reconnect the latest generation with nature?

Growing up as I did, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in sustainable living. When you live on a farm it is a necessary way of life. You learn to take care of the land. Water conservation is a habit because you don’t want the well to run dry. Energy conservation is a habit because you don’t want any surprises on the power bill. You don’t throw anything away if there is a possibility of fixing it. In short, you learn to be conservative with resources.

Somewhere in the 1970s sustainable living came to be seen as the realm of ‘hippies,’ but I don't see taking care of the environment as the exclusive domain of people with a more liberal leaning. I know that such a lifestyle is often seen that way in America, but I think that's unfortunate. Ultimately, sustainability is about conserving resources. When you conserve resources, you save money while making sure there’s something left for future generations. What could be more conservative than that?

I'm sure you’ve heard the adage that 'if you give a man a fish he eats for a day, but if you teach a man to fish he'll eat for a lifetime.' Well, that's where we are right now as not only a nation, but as a global community as well. It’s simple, really. If we keep eating all the cookies without putting anything back into the cookie jar, eventually we’re going to run out of cookies.

If we are to survive on the Earth, we will have to start putting the cookies back. I think we have to learn not to define ourselves by how much stuff we own or by how many resources we consume. I have a lot more ‘stuff’ now than I had back in my days on the farm, but it hasn’t made me any happier. In fact, when I think of happy memories, they all revolve around that farmhouse in rural Abbeville County. I can’t speak for everyone, but personally the things that make me happy aren’t ‘things.’ Hiking in the woods with the kids is a lot more fun than sitting in front of the tv all day. Picking fresh vegetables from the backyard garden is a lot more fun than standing in line at the supermarket.

Perhaps we could learn to define ourselves by what sort of people we are instead of by how much we own. I for one want to be the sort of person who isn't robbing my children of a future. I think the best way to do that is to learn to replace what we've taken from the Earth so there will be something for future generations. That's what sustainability is all about.

Sustainability: A Paradigm Shift

by Chuck Hall

With issues like global warming, overpopulation, pollution and depletion of our natural resources looming on the horizon, it is clear that we cannot continue with a 'business as usual' approach to life on this planet without major future consequences. The economist Adam Smith in his work Wealth of Nations suggested that in a free-market economy, change occurs because the people in that market have a vested interest in making that change. In layman’s terms, when faced with an economic decision, people generally ask, “What’s in it for me?”

Unfortunately a lot of the time we tend to focus on our present short-term goals rather than on further-reaching future goals. When it comes to taking care of our home, planet Earth, there doesn’t seem to be any immediate advantage to living in a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly way. We’re creatures of habit, and it’s hard to change if we don’t see any immediate advantage in doing so.

The problem is that an increasing body of evidence indicates that we’re having a significant negative impact on the ecosphere. If we don’t focus on the long-term damage we’re doing to the Earth now, it may be too late tomorrow. While environmental awareness is on the rise, there are still many who think that sustainability isn’t an issue they should be concerned about.

I think the main reason for this is that people focus on the short-term expense and inconvenience of moving to a more sustainable lifestyle instead of seeing the bigger picture. Building greener homes, driving greener cars and using more energy-efficient appliances can require more money to start with, but over time the savings can add up, and a sustainable lifestyle can pay for itself many times over. But before this can happen, we need to recognize and realize the benefits.

What is needed is a paradigm shift. We can evolve to a more sustainable way of living. It means switching to resources that can be replenished or recycled instead of depending on resources that are being rapidly depleted. It means seeing ourselves as a part of the life cycle here on Earth instead of as separate from nature. Our culture will have to grow and adapt to make this happen. We will need a new culture; one that that is sustainable without being uncomfortable, spiritual without being dogmatic and artistic without being exclusive. With these goals in mind, I began The Culture Artist.  All culture is a process. I think the best process of creating a culture is to create one consciously and deliberately.