Could hydrogen lead to a third industrial revolution?
Publication Date:05-October-2006
09:30 AM US Eastern Timezone
Source:Cordis
Hydrogen has frequently been touted as a realistic solution to the
world's energy quandary, providing clean, limitless energy at a time
when climate change and diminishing resources are pushing energy up the
agenda of consumers, business leaders and politicians alike. Sooner or
later, decisions will have to be taken on which form or forms of
alternative energy should be pursued. Many are pushing for governments
to get behind hydrogen, including Jeremy Rifkin, founder and president
of the Foundation on Economic Trends in the US, and a one-time advisor
to former Commission President Romano Prodi.
The world is on the verge of a revolution, according to Mr Rifkin,
steered by the rise of hydrogen and advanced forms of communication.
'The big revolutions in history have come about due to a convergence of
new energy regimes and new communication regimes,' said Mr Rifkin on 4
October, speaking to journalists in the European Parliament.
The first industrial revolution was powered by new technology involving
coal and steel at the same time as the print press emerged, while the
second industrial revolution came about with the discovery of oil and
the telephone, claimed Mr Rifkin, the author of 17 published books on
the impact of scientific and technological changes.
Hydrogen can be used in conjunction with other alternative energy
forms, and can pool and store what comes from them. Renewable energy
technologies on their own can sometimes be unreliable because they rely
on environmental factors (sun, wind, waves).
'Europe is a huge continent of renewable energy, but it's disparate,'
said Mr Rifkin. 'Hydrogen can store all these different forms of
renewable energy.' Smart power grids, currently being tested in the US'
Silicon Valley, could then be used to distribute energy. The grids can
be used like the Internet, said Mr Rifkin. 'There's an opportunity here
to create a third industrial revolution,' he said.
When operational, such a system would allow each locality to be
self-sufficient, and of course emissions would be cut. All that is
needed now is leadership. 'The next few months will be critical in
terms of whether or not Europe steps out in front and creates an exit
strategy from oil,' said Mr Rifkin.
Certainly Europe is planning on investing more in hydrogen research.
Under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), the EU already supported
numerous projects investigating aspects of creating a hydrogen economy,
and a Technology Platform on hydrogen and fuel cells was established.
The energy budget for the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), due to get
underway on 1 January 2007, has increased substantially, and it seems
likely that hydrogen research will be one of the benefactors of this
increase.
A number of MEPs called for hydrogen to be the main recipient of FP7's
energy funding envelope on 4 October. Belgian socialist MEP and former
EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin urged: 'We need to say that
in FP7 we want the majority of the energy budget to go to hydrogen. We
shouldn't give any reticence to giving support to this in FP7.'
Italian liberal MEP Vittorio Prodi added his support, saying: 'We are
here to stress the parliament's support for the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
Technology Platform, and I would like to reconfirm the Parliament's
commitment to a hydrogen society. I am convinced of the need to move
forward.'
MEPs Jo Leinen and Umberto Guidoni, representing the Socialists and the
United Left respectively, also spoke out in favour of hydrogen, with Mr
Leinen pointing out that the EU started with energy (coal and steel) in
1956, and Mr Guidoni explaining that hydrogen had helped him get into
space in his former career as an astronaut.
Speaking later in the day and opening the Fuel Cell Technology
Platform's annual assembly, Science and Research Commissioner Janez
Potocnik praised the public-private-partnership behind the Platform,
and spoke optimistically about the future. 'We can identify and
overcome obstacles to the implementation of this technology in all its
very many applications. We can tackle technology bottle necks, raise
public awareness and appreciation, address safety issues and develop
standards that can ensure that technology developed in Europe is used
not just here but around the world,' he said.
For further information on the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology
Platform, please visit:
https://www.hfpeurope.org/
On alt.energy.homepower, in
> Could hydrogen lead to a third industrial revolution?
There has only been one. It's still going on. And it is still
trashing the planet, only more so.
Now you want to add another massive industry.
Why do you hate the planet?
<snip another commercial for a hi-tech anti-solution to the
environmental crisis from this brain dead worshipper of
technology>
Alan
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