“Los Angeles, 2043: An optimistic scenario for transportation” by John Rossant
This reads like pro hydrogen puff piece, something the fossil fuel industry is hedging their bets on because it requires fossil fuels to convert into useable form. The hydrogen lobby is just an arm of the fossil fuel industry and it’s worth eyeing with suspicion unless major breakthroughs remove the need for fossil fuels in hydrogen fuel cell production. Of course if that does happen the fossil fuel industry will fight it tooth and nail to protect their investments.
Yup, found it - this article is by john rossant CEO of CoMotion, deeply involved in hydrogen and partnered with BP. This is fossil fuel propaganda disguised as solarpunk. These people would destroy anything solarpunk if there was any threat to their power, so they’re looking to co-opt it and install hydrogen and by extension fossil fuels as a part of it
Green hydrogen will have some uses in a decarbonized economy. Some industrial use for sure. But there are also some sectors like aviation where a good carbon-free model does not yet exist. Hydrogen may have a role to play there.
But people suggesting hydrogen powered vehicles are a simple replacement for gasoline vehicles are either ignorant or charlatans.
I’m definitely not against hydrogen as an energy source, but I am very much against fossil fuel propaganda. They only like it because it allows them to continue making money on fossil fuels, in fact they will kill any research into hydrogen fuel cell production that doesn’t require fossil fuels. That’s why I eye anything putting hydrogen in a good light with suspicion until it calls out the use of fossil fuels or at least mentions it.
Really appreciate you adding the context of who wrote the article, thanks for your hard work digging up the connections!
Green washing, is one of my pet peeves, especially when it comes to hydrogen. It’s just too insidious and easy for folks to get behind and too easy for fossil fuel companies to paint a green future as reliant on hydrogen (and thus on fossil fuels). “Oh yeah we’re Definitely going to work on a way to create hydrogen fuel cells without fossil fuels. we’ll get right on that!” It’s effective considering getting posted on a solarpunk instance and gaining a fair amount of upvotes
Just Captain Planetting one debunk at a time.
Hydrogen is a fairly common component of a lot of chemical processes. There are quite a few use cases of green hydrogen without fuel cells. Steel manufacturing is one example.
I’m not saying there’s not a place for hydrogen lol. I’m pointing out that this particular piece and I’d wager to say that vast majority of “hydrogen is the future” articles and shit is pure fossil fuel propaganda, and that the only thing I care about re hydrogen is advancements in hydrogen fuel cell production WITHOUT fossil fuel use, or otherwise actual green hydrogen usage. In your example, is hydrogen used to reduce the amount of fossil fuels in steel manufacturing or is just part of the normal process?
don’t tell that to tesla fanboys, they’ll jump down your throat
