Re: [Amc-list] My Two Cents on Hydrogen etc

[adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Sandwich Maker)]

" From: David Crooks <david.crooks@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
"
" A few points:
"
" 1. Electrolysis is NOT the main method used to generate Hydrogen.
" It's a very inefficient method.  The usual way of making it is by
" cracking oil, which is why the oil companies don't mind the thought of
" switching to Hydrogen.

oil cracking isn't, either.  the 'waste' carbon is probably disposed
of as co2 - but oil is [used to be] cheap...

other ways of producing h2 are being investigated.  someone has
discovered an algae which hydrolyzes water, releasing h2 and o2.

" 2. It's no big secret that Hydrogen is not nearly as high an energy
" density fuel as gasoline, ethanol or diesel, (or bio-diesel).
" Hydrogens chief advantage is pollution reduction, it produces nothing
" but water vapor as an exhaust.  Hydrogen is mostly about being
" cleaner, not about moving away from oil.

imho it's more like a son-et-lumiere show about -appearing- to be
cleaner.  it has monumental storage and transmission problems, and
infrastructure is only part of that.  and h2 from oil isn't any
cleaner than burning the oil, it just hides the co2 emission source in
the refinery..

" 3. Ethanol and Bio-Diesel may be low emission fuels, but they are not
" zero emission fuels.  Both create CO2, the so called greenhouse gas,
" and contribute to global warming.

yes, but they come from plants that absorb co2, making them
net-zero-sum.

" And then there's the whole debate about food vs fuel.  Is it better to
" use corn/soy crops for ethanol/diesel or to feed people?

burning food as fuel is definitely stupid.  they looked around for
something to run engines from and found alcohol brewed from
sugar/starch, and not pausing to consider food competition never mind
efficiency stopped looking.  this has made adm very happy...

cellulosic is much better on both counts; you can use any plant, and
nearly all of it instead of just the small fraction that is starch or
sugar.  there's nothing comparable for biodlesel yet, but plants that
produce inedible oils are just starting to be investigated.

there's still competition for acreage though.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                       and think what none thought
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