The Coming Hydrogen Age !

 In 1720 the invention of the steam engine was the start of the industrial revolution which changed the entire world.  For the first time, mankind was able to manufacture things with a source of energy beyond his or her muscles or the strength of an animal, but that was not universally welcomed.

It was a time of industrial chaos, with angry mobs invading factories to smash the machinery geared to the steam engine because they could produce faster and cheaper products that put the previous makers out of work.  For some, the steam engine was a threat to their agrarian way of life - to be resisted by all means.

That steam engine was simply the forerunner to the industrial progress that followed, and the fuel used was predominantly coal and oil, and when we burn these fossil fuels we release the carbon dioxide that is stored away in them.  We are raising the temperature of planet Earth and the consequences will be dire for humankind.

Fortunately, there is another product readily available that can deliver the same benefits as coal and oil, but without generating carbon dioxide or any other harmful gases.  It is called hydrogen and it is a component of water.

There is more water on this planet than land and hence the base source of hydrogen is unlimited.  All it takes if electricity applied to water to divide the chemical formulae known as H20 into hydrogen and oxygen., and the energy to  create the necessary electricity can be obtained from solar panels or wind turbines.

The addition of solar panels on rooftops is fast reaching the stage where we are generating surplus electricity and if this is channelled  into hydrogen production we would have a completely new industry to replace coal and oil and stop polluting the planet.

That is the obvious solution facing Australia and it is the direction we must take along with other nations if we are to keep global warming within reasonable limitations, but it is highly likely the plan will generate heated opposition, as happened when that first steam engine replaced the horse as a means of transport and machines did the work of home industries.

We are about to undertake a new industrial revolution and there are many earning a living from oil and coal who will try and sabotage this new hydrogen industry.  They will see it as a threat to their way of life and dispute the damage carbon dioxide is making to this planet's temperature.  They already argue with the scientific community about the dangers of global warming and produce false evidence to enhance their point of view.

Just as those " luddites " deliberately smashed machinery to preserve their way of life when the steam engine was invented, expect supporters who make their fortunes from oil and coal to raise heated objections to hydrogen as this replacement fuel enters production.  Large amounts of money will be generated to stop the solution to this planet overheating.

It seems that the hydrogen era is just as inevitable as the change brought by the steam engine in its day. It is the only sure way to save planet Earth !