The Hype about Hydrogen 1559907 217418873 2008-06-05T23:08:27Z BillySharps 1296384 {{Infobox Book | name = The Hype about Hydrogen | title_orig = | translator = | image = [[Image:HypeCover.jpg|200px]] | image_caption = | author = [[Joseph J. Romm]] | illustrator = | cover_artist = | country = | language = English | series = | subject = | genre = | publisher = [[Island Press]] | pub_date = 2004 | english_pub_date = | media_type = | pages = | isbn = ISBN 1-55963-703-X <br> ISBN 1-55963-704-8 | oclc = | preceded_by = | followed_by = }} [[Image:Wasserstoff.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cover of German version]] '''''The Hype about Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate''''' is a book by [[Joseph J. Romm]], published in 2004 by [[Island Press]] and updated in 2005. The book has been translated into German as ''Der Wasserstoff-Boom''.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=_549BRmQ5OEC&dq=romm+%22wasserstoff+boom%22&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=uijgvRXUbE&sig=9-dxm-iPa4T5ceUdkOsgb-4iLwI Excerpts from German version]</ref> Romm is "one of the world’s leading experts on [[clean energy]], advanced vehicles, [[energy security]], and [[greenhouse gas]] mitigation."<ref name=RommBio>[http://www.nuclearfoundation.org/rommbio.html From Romm's profile at The Foundation for Nuclear Studies]</ref> Over 200 publications, including [[Scientific American]], [[Forbes Magazine]] and [[The New York Times]], have cited this book.<ref>[http://www.sciambookclub.com/doc/full_site_enrollment/detail/fse_product_detail.jhtml?repositoryId=024252B450 Scientific American Book Club review]</ref><ref>[http://www.innovationwatch.com/books/bks_1559637048.htm Innovation Watch]</ref><ref>[http://www.cleanhouston.org/about/romm.htm Clean Houston]</ref> The book was named one of the best science and technology books of 2004 by [[Library Journal]]. <ref name=RommBio/> The thrust of the book is that [[hydrogen]] is not economically feasible to use for [[transport|transportation]], nor will its use reduce [[global warming]], because of the cost and [[greenhouse gas]]es generated during production, the low energy content per volume and weight of the container, the cost of the [[fuel cell]]s, and the cost of the infrastructure. The author argues that a major effort to introduce [[hydrogen car]]s before 2030 would actually undermine efforts to reduce emissions of heat-trapping [[greenhouse gas]]es such as [[carbon dioxide]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/egj23/mirza1.html |title= Review: The Hype About Hydrogen |author=Umar Karim Mirza |publisher=Electronic Green Journal |date=Spring 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.issues.org/20.3/romm.html |title=The Hype about Hydrogen |author=Joseph J. Romm |publisher=University of Texas |date=Spring 2004 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.culturechange.org/hydrogen.htm Article describing the book]</ref> <ref>[http://lfee.mit.edu/metadot/index.pl?id=3461 The car and fuel of the future] - Presentation by Dr. Joseph Romm.</ref> ==Description of the book== ''The Hype about Hydrogen'' contends that [[global warming]] and U.S. reliance on foreign fuel imports cannot be solved by the hypothetical [[hydrogen economy]] that has been advanced as a possible solution to these problems, and that "neither government policy nor business investment should be based on the belief that hydrogen cars will have meaningful commercial success in the near or medium term." The book explains how [[fuel cell]]s work and compares different types. It then reviews the difficulties in marketing fuel cells for applications other than transportation and argues that these are in fact easier and more likely to happen soon than transportation applications. The history of hydrogen and its methods of production are then described. The book claims that the most common and cost-effective method of [[hydrogen production]] is from [[natural gas]], which emits large amounts of [[carbon dioxide|CO<sub>2</sub>]] (a [[greenhouse gas]]), since it would require too much [[electric power]] to produce hydrogen using the [[electrolysis]] method. The monetary costs of hydrogen fueling infrastructure for the U.S. are then estimated at half a trillion U.S. dollars, and the book describes additional energy and environment costs to liquefy and compress hydrogen for use in fueling stations. The book goes on to discuss the hypothetical evolution of the cost of vehicles with fuel cells and with hydrogen-powered [[internal combustion engine]]s, as well as possible adoption strategies. It then reviews the issue of the [[greenhouse effect]] and offers four reasons why hydrogen would not be useful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions: *[[Internal combustion engine]]s continue to improve in efficiency. *Since hydrogen is likely to be made from [[combustion]] of fossil fuels, it produces less CO<sub>2</sub> and other greenhouse gases to burn the fossil fuel directly. *Fuel cells are likely to be much more expensive than competing technologies. *Fuels used to make hydrogen could achieve larger reductions in greenhouse gas emissions if used to replace the least efficient of the electric [[Power station|power plants]]. The book then describes pilot projects in [[Iceland]] and [[California]]. In its conclusion, the book states that hydrogen will not be widely available as a transportation fuel for a long time, and describes other strategies, including [[energy conservation]] techniques, to combat global warming. ==Critical reception== ''The Hype about Hydrogen'' was named one of the best science and technology books of 2004 by [[Library Journal]].<ref name=RommBio/> The [[New York Review of Books]] stated that the book gives "the most direct answers" to the question on the promise of a near-term hydrogen economy, calling Romm "a hydrogen realist". <ref>[http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17179 Review in NY Review of Books]</ref> The environmental community newsletter TerraGreen agrees with Romm in the claim that "the car of the near future is the hybrid vehicle", and cites the book's good reception by Toyota's advanced technologies group. <ref>[http://static.teriin.org/terragreen/issue107/reviews.htm Review in TerraGreen Newsletter]</ref> The [[San Diego Union Tribune]]'s 2004 review noted that Romm's "clear logic" reaches conclusions similar to an authoritative study issued by the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]]. <ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040321/news_lz1v21hydrog.html Review in The San Diego Union-Tribune]</ref> Three [[UC Davis]] scientists who also reviewed the book agreed on its basic premises, but claimed that Romm had made selective use of sources, for example, citing the highest cost estimates, adopting extremely high estimates of efficiency for advanced gasoline vehicles, and giving weight to controversial non-peer-reviewed studies. <ref>[http://pubs.acs.org/cen/books/8241/print/8241books.html Review in Chemical and Engineering News]</ref> Romm and Prof. [[Andrew A. Frank]] co-authored an article, "Hybrid Vehicles Gain Traction", published in the April 2006 issue of [[Scientific American]], in which they argue that [[hybrid cars]] that can be plugged into the electric grid ([[Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle]]s), rather than hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, will soon become standard in the automobile industry.<ref>[http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/329.html "Hybrid Vehicles Gain Traction"]</ref> ==See also== *[[Hydrogen vehicle]] *[[Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle]] *[[Vegetable oil economy]] *''[[Who Killed the Electric Car?]]'' *''[[Hell and High Water (book)|Hell and High Water]]'' ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{cite web | url= http://www.wired.com/cars/energy/news/2008/05/hydrogen| title= "Hydrogen Cars Won't Make a Difference for 40 Years" | last=Squatriglia | first= Chuck | date= May 12, 2008 |work= Wired|publisher= CondéNet, Inc| accessdate= 2008-05-13}}, quoting Romm *[http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18301 ''Technology Review'' article on BMW's new hydrogen vehicle, extensively discussing Romm's analysis] in the March/April 2007 issue *[http://www.eande.tv/main/?date=091605 September 16, 2005 television interview with Romm about the book and hydrogen cars] *[http://books.google.com/books?id=yXY8z3ZEog0C&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=%22hype+about+hydrogen%22+romm+german&source=web&ots=fnMP8MZJbe&sig=dSUlRHMOdw1khyCSv9Oao8WWEpg#PPA68,M1 Online excerpts from the book] *[http://www.efcf.com/reports/ Does a Hydrogen Economy Make Sense?] *[http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/268851 2007 Toronto Star article on hydrogen vehicles noting Romm's views] [[Category:2004 books|Hype about Hydrogen, The]] [[Category:Energy policy|Hype about Hydrogen, The]] [[Category:Hydrogen economy|Hype about Hydrogen, The]] [[Category:Current affairs books|Hype about Hydrogen, The]] [[Category:Climate change books]]