Nejat T. VEZIROGLU - Professor
& Director, Clean Energy Research Institute,
University of Miami
21ST
CENTURY'S ENERGY:
HYDROGEN
ENERGY SYSTEM
T.
Nejat Veziroglu
Director, Clean Energy Research Institute, University
of Miami
President, International Association for Hydrogen
Energy
Short Summary
Fossil
fuels (i.e., petroleum, natural gas and coal), which
meet most of the world's energy demand today, are
being depleted fast. Also, their combustion products
are causing the global problems, such as the greenhouse
effect, ozone layer depletion, acid rains and pollution,
which are posing great danger for our environment
and eventually for the life in our planet. Many
engineers and scientists agree that the solution
to these global problems would be to replace the
existing fossil fuel system by the Hydrogen Energy
System. Hydrogen is a very efficient and clean fuel.
Its combustion will produce no greenhouse gases,
no ozone layer depleting chemicals, little or no
acid rain ingredients and pollution. Hydrogen, produced
from renewable energy (e.g., solar) sources, would
result in a permanent energy system, which we would
never have to change.
However,
there are other energy systems proposed for the
post petroleum era, such as a synthetic fossil fuel
system. In this system, synthetic gasoline and synthetic
natural gas will be produced using abundant deposits
of coal. In a way, this will ensure the continuation
of the present fossil fuel system.
The
two possible energy systems for the post fossil
fuel era (i.e., the solar hydrogen energy system
and the synthetic fossil fuel system) are compared
with the present fossil fuel system by taking into
consideration production costs, environmental damages
and utilization efficiencies. The results indicate.
that the solar hydrogen energy system is the best
energy system to ascertain a sustainable future,
and it should replace the fossil fuel system before
the end of the 21st Century.
However, there are other energy systems proposed
for the post petroleum era, such as a synthetic
fossil fuel system. In this system, synthetic gasoline
and synthetic natural gas will be produced using
abundant deposits of coal. In a way, this will ensure
the continuation of the present fossil fuel system.
The
two possible energy systems for the post fossil
fuel era (i.e., the solar hydrogen energy system
and the synthetic fossil fuel system) are compared
with the present fossil fuel system by taking into
consideration production costs, environmental damages
and utilization efficiencies. The results indicate.
that the solar hydrogen energy system is the best
enemy system to ascertain a sustainable future,
and it
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