Like it or not, the United States tends to shape opinions around the world. Up to until recently, the world (almost unanimously) believed the worsening climatic conditions around the world, the rising of the sea level, and spread of diseases like malaria into areas they previously deemed impossible to exist because of climate, were all caused by global warming.
The world blamed human industrial revolution on the global warming, as we burn fossil fuels to power machinery, we filled the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. The gases trap too much heat within the atmosphere leading to a gradual and steady rise of temperature within the Earth over the years. Driving to the phenomenon popularly referred to as global warming.
Clean Energy could reverse Global Warming
While the current U.S. administration doesn’t believe much in human-made global warming. It has been the belief for a long time that carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels makes the earth warmer. The influence of the U.S. government seems to be weathering down that belief, but it would be safe to say most parts of the world still believe fossil fuels are bad for the survival of Earth’s ecosystem as we have known it.
Advocate for clean energy (ones that do not release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere) have for long fronted solar and wind energy. However, the biggest challenge these alternative sources of energy have is that they are weather dependent. Places far deep into the southern and northern atmosphere don’t get much sunlight; there are months they get almost no Sun at all.
Wind farms also depend on the direction the wind is blowing; which at time change for an extended period. During such times, the wind farms register little to no power generation. However, there are geographical regions where the wind blows strong and consistently, but the power generated can go to waste if the wind farms don’t have enough battery technology to store the energy.
The reliability of Internal Combustion Engine
Wind and solar power generation offer a good alternative to the burning of fossil fuels, but they can never match the reliance of internal combustion engine. Where you simply fill up your fuel tank and go to any area not worrying about weather changes leading to you running out of source of energy.
One might counter that argument that battery storing energy from clean energy sources can address that concern. However, truth of the matter is, battery technology development is lagging behind the demand for energy. You can go a long way with a tank of fossil fuel than with a fully charged battery, and there is also the problem of our current infrastructure set up. You will likely find tens of fossil fuels filling stations on your journey and little to none battery recharge stations. When you do find a battery charge station, there is also the waiting time needed to get the battery to recharge.
Why Hydrogen is the ultimate source of Clean Energy
Hydrogen could efficiently replace fossil fuels as far as internal combustion engine is concerned. Giving user the same level of reliability one gets with the internal combustion engine but with one great advantage; the exhaust will be water.
Hydrogen is obtained by splitting the building block of water; separate out the oxygen from hydrogen. Hydrogen is a combustible element, which can then be used inside internal combustion engine. By combustion, hydrogen is again burned in the presence of oxygen, and the resultant compound is water.
That means cars using hydrogen will be releasing water into the atmosphere instead of harmful greenhouse gases. Think about all the cars, planes, and other motorized vehicles roaring in dry cities like Abu Dhabi and Las Vegas. These vehicles could be releasing water vapor into the atmosphere through their exhausts, and the steam will rise and if the winds permeate form clouds and fall back as rainfall.
Hydrogen fuel could be like killing at least two birds with one stone throw. It fights global warming and increases chances of precipitation in an area. Africa could be one of the leading producer of hydrogen fuel, given the process of splitting hydrogen from Oxygen atoms in Water molecules requires energy. Africa, blessed with clean energy sources like solar and wind, could produce Hydrogen fuel with zero carbon footprint compared to countries in colder parts of the Earth like Germany, Japan, and China.
The biggest problem with Hydrogen as fuel
Hydrogen is unstable and burns rather rapidly. If not well executed, you are likely to create a bomb than a fuel source burning constantly. However, that is nothing that a little innovation can’t find a workaround the problem.
See also: Global Warming Worst Case Scenario; Is Space The Alternative Home Or The Ocean Floors?
