MikeLigalig.com

Energy Crisis: Renewable Resource-Hydrogen and Natural Gas
Published by: Allegheny College
Author: A. Lorenzo Lucino Jr
2005

Throughout the history of mankind, societies have always implored the use of natural resources in order to advance their civilizations from one age to the next. An example of this would be the human civilizations thousands of years ago during the B.C periods of the Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Parthian, Han, and Hindustani Empires consuming wood and coal to further their populace as well as exploiting copper, iron and ore to produce weapons. The present civilizations, especially in the United States, Canada as well as Europe have depended on petroleum trade as its primary natural resource of exploitation. There have been observable advancements for the renewable resources such as wind power, solar power, hydroelectric power and hydrogen based power, which would overall lead to the lessening of the dependence on the monopolistic hold the non renewable resource industry has on society. The more the reason why we need to study non-renewables such as natural gas and renewables such as hydrogen power is to understand their contributions in technology, economics, environment and politics.

   Both energy sources differ in daily consumption and public knowledge of each source. One can attest to this because most citizens know what natural gas is, but there are a few who do not know of the hydrogen “economy”. One particular example of this lies in the fact that natural gas is a large provider of power and energy, whose amount of consumption is growing by two to three percent annually. This is a difference natural gas and hydrogen share in the societal spectrum; as natural gas consumption rates continue to skyrocket, hydrogen remains pale in comparison of consumption rates with natural gas. Natural gas and hydrogen differ simply because there have been more investment in tapping natural gas by international countries, whereas the investment for hydrogen power for domestic use in the past half century have remained stagnant with a little increase in the last two decades (Meadows, Meadows and Randers 70).

   One needs to understand the basic background and history of hydrogen in order to begin a comparison of natural gas and hydrogen power. The idea of hydrogen as an energy provider is new to the ears of a lot of people, but is a good idea for a solution to the addiction the United States and other industrialized nations have with petroleum. Hydrogen is perfect for nations who are conscious about the effects on the environment and the fact is that the emissions hydrogen gives off are far less destructive to the atmosphere, as compared to petroleum and other non renewable natural resources, which actually give off high amounts of carbon monoxide and destructive hydrocarbons (Hydrogen 1). Henry Cavendish discovered hydrogen in 1776, but it was not utilized commercially until the 1920s and even from then it was harvested and consumed in small amounts (Rifkin 180-181).

   The use of hydrogen in the past was primarily as an experimental fuel for submarines, battleships, automobiles and locomotives. Today it has changed. For example, the world produced 400 billion cubic meters of hydrogen in 1999. This is used in fertilizers and the hydrogenation of agrarian products, however it has been ignored as an actual fuel for transportation use since the post World War II era until the energy crisis of 1973. During that time, scientists and government officials realized the dire need for energy and started investing in the research of all-purpose hydrogen (Rifkin 182). Throughout the late 20th century, however, hydrogen was utilized in new areas such as Soviet jets and US test airplanes. Recently in 1994, Belgium utilized hydrogen-powered buses, which showed that hydrogen has been a growing factor as an energy provider for the international community (Rifkin 183). Something of similar feats was achieved not only in Europe, such feats were also found in the economic super power state of Japan in recent times. Lately in Japan, hydrogen has been used as fuel in cars, as well as a growing energy provider in the “land of the rising sun” and should be a catalyst for other nations (Hydrogen Economy). Compared to natural gas, which is processed after its extraction from faults underneath the earth by pipes, hydrogen is produced from a process that strips the hydrogen atoms from natural gas and leaves carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The process of using steam to reform natural gas, is the fastest and most widely used way to make hydrogen (Rifkin 185) (Hydrogen Economy).

   The history of hydrogen is quite long, stretching back as far as 1776. Nevertheless, it was not used commercially till the 1920s, whereas natural gas was found in the 18th century but was put into use during the early 19th century. Natural Gas was put to use in the United States of America in 1821 and found great fame with the oil phenomenon of the 1850s in the eastern United States (Barlow and Tussing 9). From its infancy and throughout the nineteenth century, manufactured gas was used exclusively for illumination. Gas works spring up around the country beginning in the 1820s and soon displaced tallow candles as the chief source of light. Manufactured gas was able to garner a price after it outpaced its largest competitor, whale oil, which brought the whaling era to the end (Barlow and Tussing 10-14). Industrial and electric-utility markets for gas were relatively small until after World War II when natural gas became a major source of energy and available for the domestic household, primarily in the United States and developing nations (Smil 142-143). This is a reason that favors one source over the other. At the time of both world wars, both natural gas and hydrogen were consumed by the militaries of both axis and allied powers. On the other hand, after the war, hydrogen power was placed in the side and lacked in advancements and investments, whereas natural gas was heavily invested on and was one of the primary domestic energy sources with oil and coal (Natural Gas) (Barlow and Tussing 11).

   On way of comparing these two energy sources are investigating the kinds of technologies put into them. There are multiple technological ways in producing hydrogen; such an example would be the use of resources such as coal, biomass and water. In the case of water, electricity is used from hydroelectric, geothermal and photovoltaic to make hydrogen via electrolysis (Elam, Hock and Sandor). The technological advances in the field of hydrogen has allowed for advances in the use of wind turbines, which has led to the lowering of the cost of wind electricity. This becomes another technological advance in ways of utilizing a hydrogen-based economy. Hitherto, the new technologies for hydrogen use are implemented in wind turbines and propellers as well as natural gas electrolysis (Elam, Hock and Sandor). Hydroelectric power is another potential source of hydrogen production, in that when water evaporates it falls back as precipitation and allows hydroelectric power to create and generate electricity. This power is utilized as a renewable source for the electrolysis of hydrogen (Rifkin 191). Fuel cells are utilized as another form to aid hydrogen. Specifically, they can be used as batteries, but they continue to work and convert chemical energy using a process that is the reverse of electrolysis and could produce enough electricity needed for towns. In the future, this could also be true for cities and nations (Rifkin 192-193). The technologies for a hydrogen-based economy are interdependent on other electric producing renewable energy sources and dependent on their own advancements.

   Natural gas technology differs in this because natural gas is not interdependent on another energy source’s technology, whereas it has its own. Natural gas technology has primarily relied on the use of 3-D/4-D seismic imaging, CO2 sand fracturing, coiled tubing and offshore drilling technology (Natural Gas). During the early days of natural gas, especially in the 1960s, the United States invested in coal research to find gas. As soon as natural gas was tapped, extraction was used via tubes and pipelines and processed natural gas in barrels in plants. It is then shipped all over the world. This procedure has remained the same, with development in chartering, mapping and extraction procedures that have resulted in less damage to indigenous ecological systems. Due to technological advancements, new explorative techniques, vibrational sounds, and faster extraction, it has become faster and smoother to serve and provide the public with natural gas as public demand continues to skyrocket (Scamehorn 139). This is one difference in which natural gas and hydrogen have, the fact that natural gas has already reached its prime and can no longer find newer technology besides improving the current technologies it already utilizes. Hydrogen power on the other hand has not yet reached its prime in technological advancements since there are newer technological advancements for wind power, biomass, hydroelectric power and fuel cells being implemented annually. As the age of natural gas closes, the age of hydrogen has yet to start completely.

   The study of the economic aspects of these energy sources are quite similar to the technological sector in that natural gas is deeply intertwined in the economies of the international community simply because it is a primary domestic energy source, whereas hydrogen’s impact in national and international economics have been minimal at best (Natural Gas) (MacAvoy 17-18). The non-renewable resource called natural gas is no doubt a vital component of the supply of energy in the world, providing that this colorless, odorless, and shapeless source has impacted the way of life. Natural gas has allowed for the basic comforts of home such as heating the home, cooking  food and providing electrical power for the average American and international household (Natural Gas) (Rogers and Feiss 187). So intertwined are the American and international household and natural gas that natural gas’s consumption rate has grown from a 308 billion cubic feet in 1975 to today’s rate, which is over 10 times that amount (Scamehorn 142) (Natural Gas). In fact, total world consumption of natural gas has increased to over 90 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, with Russia not too far behind with 21 trillion cubic feet (Natural Gas). The dependence society has on natural gas can be observed on a first eye view. Such views can be seen in the four primary sectors of society, which are commercial, industrial, residential and transportation (Natural Gas) (Scamehorn 140-141).

Hydrogen and economics is a growing partnership, as we know it. Hydrogen based fuels have grown extensively throughout the world, especially in places such as Belgium, Japan, China, the United States as well as some western European nations. A hydrogen economy is realistically the safest economy if ever implemented. Hydrogen based fuels can be easily produced with the cheap cost of wind power electricity and hydroelectricity, which in turn is used to create man made hydrogen, however have great obstacles in their path (Schneider, Rosencranz and Niles 450). The economics of hydrogen as a fuel derive from the comparison with our existing hydrocarbon fuel framework. Once you take into account the cost of releasing hydrogen from molecules, the use of hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen, the less-than-hoped-for benefits of decreased emissions, the costs of inputs, the much lower energy intensity of hydrogen relative to hydrocarbons, and the costs of transporting hydrocarbons and/or water so they can be processed into hydrogen on-site. It becomes pretty clear that hydrogen is not likely going to be ready for economic prime time for a while. Most estimates put commercial fuel cell vehicles at 10-30 years in the future to be used widespread (Natural Gas) (Hydrogen).   

The United States and most of western Europe continue to be the largest importer and consumer of natural gas primarily because they are the most industrialized in the world and with that comes facilities and houses that need to be fueled b natural gas in order to work. This is the reason why we can implement the conclusion that natural gas industry affects the economies of nations for without it, households wouldn’t operate. Without the operation of households, the operation of daily jobs of civilians would not work; civilians are the essence of nations and states and hence in a broad perspective nations could not operate without natural gas and its sedatives. This is the reason why natural gas is, at the time being, the current in demand energy source compared to hydrogen.

The environmental impact of these energy sources are supremely favorable compared to other energy sources such as oil and coal, which actually emit large amounts of sulfur dioxides, carbon dioxides as well as large amounts of nitrous oxides. Natural gas along with hydrogen emit minimal amounts of these green house gases and commit less damage as compared to the primary non-renewable resources that have been extensively used throughout the late nineteenth, twentieth and twenty first century (Schneider, Rosencranz and Niles 10-11). Natural gas technology has intensely advanced in its methods of tapping natural gas wells and as a result, a reduction in environmental damage. During the 50s and 60s the technology in finding natural gas wells were using dynamite and drilling holes in natural gas speculated area, thus causing tremendous damages to valleys, coastlines and shore areas, but in modern times these methods have been completely abandoned. The advancements in technology, as pertained earlier, has reiterated that the use of 3-D/4-D seismic imaging and CO2 sand imaging has resulted in decrease of environmental damages (Natural Gas) (Rogers and Feiss 180). The extensive use of pipelines and safety regulations that are being implemented in the United States, Russia and former Soviet states, China, Japan, Canada, and industrialized Western European states have resulted in little or no natural gas leak incidents (Rogers and Feiss 182) (Goodstein 384-385) (Natural Gas). Natural Gas is the cleanest fossil fuel that is composed primarily of methane. The main products of the combustion of natural gas are carbon dioxide and water vapor, the same compounds we exhale when we breathe:
 Coal and oil are composed of much more complex molecules, with a higher carbon ratio and higher nitrogen and sulfur contents. This means that when combusted, coal and oil release higher levels of harmful emissions, including a higher ratio of carbon emissions, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Coal and fuel oil also release ash particles into the environment, substances that do not burn but instead are carried into the atmosphere and contribute to pollution. The combustion of natural gas, on the other hand, releases very small amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, virtually no ash or particulate matter, and lower levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other reactive hydrocarbons (Natural Gas).

Like natural gas on terms of environmental impact, hydrogen is effective in reducing the amounts of green house gases and maintaining a healthy and effective ozone layer and atmosphere. Hydrogen, unlike other fossil fuels, emits absolutely no green house gas such as nitric oxides, carbon monoxides, sulfur dioxides, besides water vapor (Hydrogen). In places such as southern California, where there is a reasonable consensus that the current and projected levels of local air pollution from internal combustion engines are unacceptable, hydrogen infrastructure costs seem very tolerable. Although current PEM fuel cells are expensive due to their micro scale production, projections for high volume production estimate capacity cost of $300 per kilowatt compared to $25-50 per kilowatt for internal combustion engines (Hydrogen1). This is the reason why environmentalists are puzzled why consumers continue to partake in the consumption of natural gas and petroleum. Despite the fact of the advancements in that particular energy source technology, there are still amounts of green house gases being emitted in the atmosphere, while hydrogen does not.

The political spectrum is one of the most debated within these energy sources dealing with the allowifcation of drilling companies to continue to drill in national reserves or near urban areas to the allocation of funds from one energy source to another energy source. Hydrogen has gone through world wide attention, especially in places such as Western Europe, North America, China, India, South America and developing parts of Asia where individual governments have placed grants in investment for fuel cells and a reality of the ‘hydrogen economy’ (Schneider, Rosencranz and Niles 460-461). Within the United States alone there have been quite a few lobbyists in disagreement. The researchers realize they are small players in the hydrogen storage field; in fact their grant is a fraction of the 150 million dollars doled out by the Energy Department for Hydrogen storage research. However, there have been small leaps within the field of hydrogen power. One particular example of this would be the 2003 Bush implementation of a bill to support natural gas advancements research in which would allocate approximately 1.2 billion dollars for hydrogen fuel initiative to decrease America’s growing dependence on foreign oil by developing technology for commercially viable hydrogen power:
The President also encouraged lawmakers to put a comprehensive energy bill on his desk by the end of the year. Las year’s energy bill, which included drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and billions in tax breaks for renewable energy and conservation programs, never made it to the president’s desk. Through Bush’s 500 million dollar Freedom CAR initiative- which is a public private partnership with automakers to advance high technology research for mass production of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles and the 1.2 billion dollar hydrogen fuel initiative, the Energy Department estimates that U.S. demand for petroleum may be reduced by over 11 million barrels per day by 2040. (Porteus)

Natural gas has been an international politics contributor, causing rifled relations with foreign nations on basis of territorial sovereignty of nations and their right to drill natural gas as well as strengthening political ties. Such examples of this would be the Spratly Islands debacle, which is a confrontation of nations of China, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, and Vietnam. Each country claims part or the entire Spratly Islands because within the islands are large pockets of natural gas, estimated to be about 100 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Each country will not release their claim on the oil and natural gas rich Spratly Islands, causing naval clashes. The major belligerents in the region would have to be the Philippines and China, primarily because out of all these countries these two have the largest navies (Rogers and Feiss 190). Another example would have to be the Iran-Paki-India Natural Gas Pipeline, which would actually foster better relations of all three nations, bring wealthy and energy to all three states as well as stabilize the south central Asian region (Shamila). Politics within the United States on the basis of natural gas has implemented a looser governmental control of natural gas companies; hence lead to a large annual growth of consumption and a fairly cheap price (Natural Gas). Politically speaking, natural gas and hydrogen have seen international advancements as well as drawbacks; nonetheless, progress in the capitalist world is seen.
   
Natural gas and hydrogen are both excellent and reliable energy sources, with their positives and negatives on the economic, environmental, political and technological spectrum. We have seen the damages on the atmosphere and ozone layers by hard fossil fuels and realize that it is imperative that we find an immediate replacement for them. We find this in both natural gas and hydrogen power, however, these energy sources, particularly hydrogen power needs investment and time to be the primary energy provider. In two to three decades, such advancements will hopefully be seen. During the course of the century, the trade rights between the OPEC nations as well as with the western states continue to rise as the consumption rates of oil and natural gas as well as natural resources continue to rise proportionally in these developing nations. It is this dependence rations hip that allows the middle east to harbor great respect and dependence from far more industrialized and developed states such a s the Unite States of America, which truly depends on the amount of oil the middle east procures for the allowing of the function of the United States. The preliminary purpose of this paper is to reiterate that the Middle East can function without the united states, but the united states cannot function without the middle east, unless it substantially alleviate itself from its current slavery to non-renewable resources by allocating funds to the development of Hydrogen Fuel Cells and or other renewable resources therewithin.



Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=8918.0