Well, It’s only fitting that President Bush, who had arguably the worst luck of any former president at the beginning of his term (9/11), is just about to end his term with one of the luckiest discoveries known to mankind - efficient water electrolysis.



If President Bush wants to capitalize on this momentous occasion I recommend the following immediate action:


1) Declare that the energy crisis has been solved. Right here in the good old USA by MIT professor Daniel Nocera.

2) Initiate an immediate executive order to start the Solar Hydrogen superfund - a 10 billion dollar initial fund to expedite this discovery into usable infrastructure.

3) Claim that this effort will be so broad that the US will need as much capital as it can put together. With this in mind, announce that an immediate withdrawal schedule from Iraq (drawn up by his generals) is to be forthcoming.

4) Let the world know that the US will work towards a peaceful transition away from fossil fuel. Admit that the US was in a severe addictive bind with oil and that our circumstance dictated most of our foreign policy. Offer a sincere apology and state that the US will move forward to increase the stability of the world so that the new global economy will flourish.

5) Inform the world that the US will move as quickly as it can to utilize this new technology to reduce it’s carbon footprint at the fastest rate possible.

6) Initiate an immediate executive order to start The Apollo Energy Plan - a plan that will bring together the world’s greatest minds to work out the best path for the US moving forward into a renewable and sustainable future.




If President Bush acts in this way he will erase most bad feelings of not only Americans but of most of the citizens on the planet. Of course the oil producing countries will be extremely nervous, especially because the price of oil is going to drop like a rock. However, President Bush will work towards their transition because it will help the overall stability of the world’s economy.

It truly is a wonderful day here on Planet Earth. I hope Bush can see this for what it’s worth and act accordingly. It’s what he has been looking for to get him out of his (and our) hole.

Bush could never redeem himself, don't be crazy. This discovery is very exciting though.

Yeah good luck with that one. What's this new breakthrough all about? Is electrolysis way easier and cheaper now?




Yes, before this discovery the efficiency of water electrolysis was so bad that most of the hydrogen generation done today (a huge amount) is done using natural gas. If Dr. Nocera is correct all of the previous cost analysis for the hydrogen economy need to be tossed out the window.

I still think the BEV will win over the hydrogen car, because it's still hard to store that hydrogen and use it cost effectively with a fuel cell on a vehicle. However, that point doesn't really matter.

The hydrogen is going to be immediately cost effective for storing vast amounts of electrical energy using intermittent renewable resources. The electricity coming off of PV solar cells and wind turbines will simply be used to crack water. The resulting hydrogen will be stored in enormous tanks ready to be put though fuel cells or simply burned in thermal energy plants.

Additionally, that hydrogen can then be used to make methane and methanol which can then be used for substitution for a huge part of the petrochemical industry.

All that talk I did before about pumped storage hydro or generating algae oil or methane for grid electrical storage just became obsolete. Seriously, this is an amazing discovery. I hope there is not some "snag" that makes the process impractical. From the catalysts used (they are green and plentiful) there doesn't seem to be anything in the way. We will find out in the next month or so as scientists all over the world are probably up right now confirming this discovery. Yeah, it's that big.

Of course if it’s just some April Fools joke then... You got us Dr. Nocera! ;)

If it is real, someone will kill him, buy him out, or scare him into silence. It will never hit the market.

If it is real, someone will kill him, buy him out, or scare him into silence. It will never hit the market.




Well, his paper is being published very soon and there is not really that much to hide. He pretty much said what the process is. Most scientists will be able to replicate it without too much trouble. This is one of those discoveries that you just can't put a lid on. You think China will care if there are patents on the technology? Hardly! That said, there will be a lot of powerful people that will be effected by this technology so... If I were him I would give this to the world ASAP! Some things are just too hot to handle. ;) Don't worry, he's now a rock star.

I hear it'll only electrolyze a specific kind of water that can only be found in Saudi Arabia. ;)

I hear it'll only electrolyze a specific kind of water that can only be found in Saudi Arabia. ;)


Ah! I knew there was a catch. lol

President Bush - Greatest leader in history
Joking, of course.

If it is real, someone will kill him, buy him out, or scare him into silence. It will never hit the market.

Nobody wants Bush dead.

Dead Bush = President Cheney.

'nuff said.

Nobody wants Bush dead.

Dead Bush = President Cheney.

'nuff said.

how would that make any difference

They were talking about the inventor by the way not Bush

Nobody wants Bush dead.

Dead Bush = President Cheney.

'nuff said.

I didn't mean Bush, I was talking about Dr. Nocera.

All that talk I did before about pumped storage hydro or generating algae oil or methane for grid electrical storage just became obsolete.

Peace on Earth. Texas, I didn't see a link to the discovery. Can you elaborate please ? I was watching the Rangers boot the Oakland A's. :)

Peace on Earth. Texas, I didn't see a link to the discovery. Can you elaborate please ? I was watching the Rangers boot the Oakland A's. :)




Here is a good article explaining Dr. Nocera’s discovery:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/energy_digital/4276071.html


Here is a recent interview with Dr. Nocera:

http://greensource.construction.com/people/0807_peoplewatch.asp


Finally, here’s a brutal attack on the discovery that is based on strong scientific arguments (don‘t forget to read the comments):

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4378


Thus, we are going to have to wait to see what comes of all this. I am looking forward to what Dr. Nocera has to say about the arguments and hope he addresses each point. I was just searching for a better way to store energy from large scale solar and wind farms. My current large-scale electrical storage system of choice is pumped storage hydro. While that option has the ability to store huge amounts of energy at reasonable prices, there is still the need to build huge facilities. It would be much better to have the ability to simply install massive amounts of hydrogen tanks anywhere, even underground. Even if the efficiency of the process is not that great there are very few viable options today. Batteries are just way too expensive (don’t forget to add the battery replacement and recycling costs).

It looks like we have a few years to wait anyway so in the mean time I feel pumped storage hydro can be used with great effectiveness. When battery or electrolysis technologies become cost effective then they can be added into the mix. None of the built pumped storage hydro stations will go to waste. They work at 80% efficiency or better (far better than current fuel cells) and the infrastructure will last for over a hundred years. It’s also very clean and quiet. No harm no foul and we can still start today.