From: Kai Becker (kmb@kai-m-becker.de)
Date: Fri Jan 31 2003 - 22:44:43 MST
Am Freitag, 31. Januar 2003 17:54 schrieb Spudboy100@aol.com:
> <<The "hydrogen economy" has been promoted for years by environmental
> activists and alternative-energy gurus like Amory Lovins. But hydrogen
> is not a source of energy, something which hydrogen advocates either
> don't understand or refuse to acknowledge.
AFAIK, H2 is more promoted as the newe energy "currency" in a network of
many differnt energy sources. The technology for storage and
transportation is well-known, quite simple and relatively safe. Combined
with electrolysis and fuel cell technology, H2 can serve as storage
medium and buffer for discontinuous sources like solar and wind power,
directly to electricity. Methane, produced from bio mass can, if not used
directly, be catalytically cracked (Ni and steam) to H2 and CO (which can
be burned to CO2). Since the CO2 from bio mass energy had been taken from
the air by the plant before, this process is CO2-neutral to the
environment.
The only problem with using too much H2 technology is, as usual, to put
"all eggs in one basket". Monocultures always bear the all or nothing
risk - like "only nuclear", "only anti-matter" or "only solar". That's
why I find a mix of different energy sources, adapted to the particular
environment a wiser way.
> <<Moreover, wind farms are incredibly land intensive.
... if you place them on land. Several offshore wind farms for the north
sea in the range of 400MW each are in late planning stage.
Kai
-- == Kai M. Becker == kmb@kai-m-becker.de == Bremen, Germany == "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced"
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