As someone who combines a lifelong passion for speculative fiction with rigorous expertise in energy systems and the analytical lens of an English literature student, I approach Erik Rakhou’s Touching Hydrogen Future (2022) and Jeremy Rifkin’s The Hydrogen Economy (2002) with both fascination and deep skepticism. Viewed through this dual … [continued]
Advocates of hydrogen often misleadingly point to its widespread industrial use today as evidence of its potential as a broad energy carrier. This, however, is a clear example of the equivocation fallacy: the term “hydrogen use” is subtly shifted from its real-world role in industry to suggest a broader, more … [continued]
Hydrogen is often celebrated as the fuel of the future, heralded as a perfect solution that emits no carbon dioxide (CO₂) when burned or utilized in fuel cells. Yet, while technically correct — hydrogen itself emits no carbon dioxide upon combustion — the framing of hydrogen as a fully ‘clean’ … [continued]
A commonly cited argument is that surplus electricity from renewable sources, particularly solar and wind, makes hydrogen production both economical and practical. The rationale seems simple: when the sun shines brightly or winds blow strongly, there’s an abundance of electricity, potentially making hydrogen cheap. But this claim oversimplifies the economic … [continued]
Trump’s misbegotten trade war against Canada notwithstanding, leading hydrogen stakeholders continue to move forward with green hydrogen projects.
The global green hydrogen industry is getting a wastewater makeover, with the potential to produce protein for animal feed in addition to hydrogen.
Almost 12 years ago, in 2013, I was in Barcelona for an EV conference, EVS 27. As part of the conference, we got to go on a little “field trip” with the local transit agency on a BYD electric bus. Out in some sprinkling rain with a group of other … [continued]
Hydrogen is often promoted as a clean and efficient energy carrier, but its real-world efficiency is frequently overstated. Proponents of hydrogen fuel cells highlight their conversion efficiencies of 50–60%, comparing them favorably to internal combustion engines (ICEs). However, this selective framing ignores the full energy pathway, from hydrogen production to … [continued]
The latest hydrogen bus setback in Germany is no surprise. Essen and Mülheim are now stuck with 19 hydrogen buses that need to travel up to 89 km round trip just to refuel after the state of North Rhine–Westphalia withdrew its subsidy for further fleet conversion. The financial burden has … [continued]
As the world races toward a decarbonized future, hydrogen is often touted as a clean energy carrier, with proponents highlighting electrolysis as a viable method for its production. The process, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, can indeed be powered by renewable energy sources, making it … [continued]
