Journal of Earth Science & Climatic Change
Open Access

Abstract

Albert Einstein advised, â�?�?Everything should be kept as simple as possible, but not simpler.â�? Following Einsteinâ�?�?s wisdom, the following energy system chain shows services, technologies, sources and currencies within five functional groups. The role of energy currencies in energy systems is analogous to the role of financial currencies in financial systems. Neither is a source of energy or wealth, yet both are essential for facilitating energy or financial transactions. Each step, from left towards the right, is a demand-supply step. So where is carbon dioxide emitted? Service technologies emit CO2 when the currencies they use contain carbon. Harvesting technologies emit CO2 when the energy for harvesting is carbon basedâ�?�?like fossil-fueled mining machinery. So to develop a carbon-free system we must evolve towards using only carbon-free energy sources and carbonfree energy currencies. There are many carbon-free sourcesâ�?�?hydraulic, tidal, solar, wind, nuclear and so on. In contrast, there are only two carbon-free currencies. The first is the electronic currency, electricity. But electricity is a poor candidate for freerange transportation, such as cars, trucks, ships and especially aircraft. Thatâ�?�?s why we also need a protonic (material) carbonfree currency. A protonic currency must contain only elements found in atmospheric abundanceâ�?�?otherwise when the fuel is burned, the emissions will be environmentally intrusive. Therefore, any candidate fuel can contain only oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Ammonia (NH3) satisfies this compositional constraint. But practical issues like low energy mass- density and toxicity make it troublesome. So weâ�?�?re left with hydrogen as the only practical carbon- free fuel that can be universally employed for all tasks that today use carbon-based fuels. Hydrogen can also be used as a clean, efficient substitute for many material-harvesting tasks, such as using H2 rather than coke for reducing iron ore in steel making. A hydricity world will be cleaner, systemically more robust and more efficient. It will bring cleaner environments, and is essential to any chance we have to escape climate catastrophe.

Biography

David Sanborn Scott, PhD, DSc (hon.), DEng (hon.), is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Formerly, Chair of Mechanical Engineering, University of Toronto, Scott then travelled west to become Founding Director of the University of Victoria’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems. Dr Scott is the author of Smelling Land; The Hydrogen Defense Against Climate Catastrophe. He chaired Canada’s Federal Advisory Group on Hydrogen Opportunities that produced the report Hydrogen: National Mission for Canada ESBN 0-662-15544-0. Dr. Scott is currently Vice-President (for North America) of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy. In 2006, he was honored with the IAHE Jules Vern Award for ‘Outstanding Contributions to Hydrogen Physics, and Hydrogen Energy Sociology and Philosophy.’