Great Science, Poor Planning

Replacing something old is often very trying. Whether it is that car you have held on to for 25 years, despite it costing more and more every year, or that shirt that hasn’t been popular since 1976, people just don’t like getting rid of things. Why is this?

First off, we have a sense of attachment to things of the past. There is a comfort, nostalgia, and a feeling of knowledge and control when we look at the items we’ve had for a while. Think of the hesitancy people had when moving from a typewriter to a computer (or for that matter a windows to a mac… too overt a plug?) People feel like they have mastered many items they’ve had for a while, and getting rid of them almost feels like losing a skill, or part of oneself.

Secondly, and probably most importantly, are the large capital cost. People don’t like shelling up big sums of money at any given time. It’s the same reason why people buy houses much larger than they can afford, and it’s the same reason why people prefer the low down payments on cars despite the inordinate interest rates associated with them. Why do you think we have an infrastructure in the U.S. predominantly from the 1950’s?

Why do you think our cars run off of gas?

We all know that gas is cheap, but we also all know that gas is limited. As we delay making the big capital investment right now to rid ourselves of our gasoline/ petroleum addictions, we are in effect signing a high-interest contract for the future.

So, when I hear about a renewable energy option that is cheap in the present and promises to be cheaper in the future, I perk up.

Recently, researchers at the University of Cambridge are figuring out how to create isolated hydrogen gas a cheaper cost point than previously thought. Check out the article here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120823112927.htm.

Essentially, what the researchers did was substitute out the conventional platinum catalyst (something that encourages a reaction) with a much cheaper Cobalt catalyst. This allowed them to synthesize hydrogen gas at a much cheaper rate using atmospheric oxygen and conditions.

Cool? We’ve found a solution! Right?

WRONG!

Hydrogen gas is wonderful, and maybe one day, it could really do great things for the world’s energy infrastructure. It is clean, efficient, and light. It not only makes energy at a higher rate than conventional hydrocarbons, but it is also (in many ways) easier to ship, transport, and manipulate.

However, hydrogen gas energy infrastructure requires an entire new INFRASTRUCTURE. And, as we know, if there is anything people hate spending money on, it is large, capital intensive costs.

So, there comes a point where we have to wonder, does any of this science matter? No matter how efficient the hydrogen system gets, it still requires an entire energy system infrastructure overhaul to become implemented. Can we ever expect such an event with governments as ineffective (on the macro-scale) as the ones we have today?

I certainly don’t know. I do know that science will continue to impress, but until policy can match it, there’s little hope for the rest of us.

As always, tune into www.energygridiq.com for all your energy thoughts and news.