endovenera

It is said that when a butterfly flaps its wings in the pacific it can cause a typhoon in Japan. The theory behind this is very much deeply routed in the ideal that two things, which are very much separated from each other, are in-fact are connected. Of course the only way a butterfly flapping its wings could cause a typhoon in Japan is if that butterfly where Mothra, but then the typhoon is the least of your problems...




For the last few years I have stored this question in reserve memory, until recently as i finally understand the true meaning of the Chaos theory. It is so much more then a flapping butterfly, but more so an idea that all our actions, negative or positive are connected. Im sure most people already know this, but never more has it been more apparent to me as i watch what was my dream fade to black. Cause of this economic burst the world may never see the full potential of geothermal energy and hydrogen technology. This is a huge loss for the world as both energy productions means produced a far superior answer to the energy question in-terms of longevity. Before I dissect the remains of a nation i must address the importance of this now flee-ding technology.



In California right now thirty new car companies have started up, ALL of them deal with the electric car. This seems like a strong step forward for a better tomorrow as it bridges the gap between the standard gas car and one that runs off of Al Gores tears. I know its a faux pas to hate on the electric car, but lets really think about what it offers the environment, and you the consumer. Twenty three percent of America still gets its electricity from coal, thirty eight from burning petroleum, and eight percent from nuclear power. So when you fill up your electric car you are indeed it just fueling the already flawed grid system. The U.S has enough geothermal heat to fuel two America's, yet they fail to maximize on this precious gift. Coal pollutes the air, nuclear waste takes a quarter of million years to not be a threat to humans, and well burning gas in a plant to fuel car is far from that much better. Yes, the footprint for the electric car is much smaller then that of your standard car, but is it the solution when better mens exist. Do we really need to bother with something when we know its not the end answer?



This end answer i speak of exists. Believe it or not it started in Canada. A small company out west called Ballard power really stepped up to the plate in 1992 and brought forth the idea of a hydrogen engine, or the fuel cell. Yes, element one on the periodic table was going to guide humanity out of the dark energy age and into the green one we so desperately need. The company eventually went public in the late 90's and the oil companies and car companies bought up all the shares and repressed this technology from ever coming out to the masses. Instead the public was given a fleet of buses running of hydrogen in London, which i believe have now been abandoned. Instead of injecting the enormous amount of capital the investors where sitting on into the company, Ballard lies stagnant in its own obscurity.



Now, i hate to use the term globalization, as really i see it to encompass a negative undertone, which in my own personal mantra doesn't exist in all cases. See the small nation of Iceland was experiencing the effects of the global market in the 1970's when it saw its main industry, the fish market, all but collapse. Seeing a dependancy on the rest of the world as a weakness, Iceland pulled up its slacks and developed a more self efficient model which made use of what it had. Geothermal heat can be found almost everywhere in Iceland, so the technology was developed and implemented to fuel the capital city of rekjvak. Geothermal heat plants were erected and the only waste it creates is hot water, which was used to create outdoor pools. Thats right, waste you can swim in and not turn into a "blinky". This technology further developed into green houses which can grow vegetables in the most barren of lands, and eventually Shell Iceland in conjunction with Ice New Energy dreamed up the first ever hydrogen fuel pump in 2001. The hydrogen is made on site using electricity from the geothermal plants and water from the mountains. The problem is the pump is just a mere accessory to the road site stop. The car's arent on the market for the average you and me to buy. The solitary pump sits in one of the farthest corners of the world, as if it didn't exist. If a key has no lock, what good is it?



Now what i believed to be the answer to the great transportation question has all faded away. The rescission has left Iceland a jobless waste. The technology to expand on this on site hydrogen model has all but been forgotten. How quick does the environment take a back seat when oil goes from $130 to $60 a barrel? It sad that it will more then likely take society another 15 years to consider hydrogen technology as a viable answer to societies energy problem. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the big solutions for specific regions with the means. Ethanol is far from perfect, even if Brasilia cane produces six times the efficiency of petrol. The cane is the produce of a slash and burn system which Brazil has perfected over time.



Since hydrogen requires electricity to make I know you are questioning the merit of these closing words. I too thought about this as well, seeking to have the best answer possible to solve this ever growing problem. I stand by hydrogen fuel cells based on this fact. Hydrogen can be made at plants, and individual stations using a single power source. If the producer was a economist, or just a smart man, he would see that either a solar or a wind power set up would minimize costs over time. Left over, if any, electricity can be sold to the grid to expand profits. If you owned an electric car, odds are you would just go home and plug it in at the end of the day. That plug is connected to a grid, which in fact is just a bouillabaisse of the staunch problems our society faces, with a little peppering of the under achieving alternatives. It is more realistic for the trucking companies as well. How many times would you have to re-charge your truck while hulling a load across the country?



The last question is what do I do now? I wish i could write something really inspiring that would really exaggerate my fighting spirit to bring forth the technology. The fact is I lack the resources, mainly capital, to make any serious headway. The will is there, but at this point its back to the drawing board. The chain of events that has to happen for Hydrogen is a long one, but one day it will see its fruition. Hopefully its sooner then later. I leave you with this video, a reminder of better times.