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I am really miffed at this quote: "Hydrogen is the cleanest primary energy source we have on earth,” said Paul C. W. Chu, TLL Temple Chair of Science and found

I am really miffed at this quote: "Hydrogen is the cleanest primary energy source we have on earth,” said Paul C. W. Chu, TLL Temple Chair of Science and founding director and chief scientist of the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH. This seems like sensationalism and poor science communication to me. Hydrogen isn't a primary energy source.

akiselev 9y ago
Primary in the sense that we can utilize hydrogen directly for energy (terrestrial fusion and fuel cell) just like with coal and other fossil fuels It has nothing to do with market share
- EvanAnderson 9y ago
  "Primary energy source" is a term with a specific meaning. I'm not talking about market share. Primary energy sources do not require any type of conversion. Fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, and solar are all primary energy sources. Free hydrogen isn't found in nature. It can be made by splitting water using energy from a primary source. The catalyst described in this press release makes that process more efficient, but it still takes energy from a primary source to create hydrogen. Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_energy
  - derefr 9y ago
    > Free hydrogen isn't found in nature. Sure it is; you just have to go kind of far out of the solar system before you'll start running into it. Molecular clouds of hydrogen are what makes those pretty Hubble pictures of nebulae. :)
    - EvanAnderson 9y ago
      Heh heh... you're bringing back memories of "Fuel Scoops" in Elite on my C64!
ScottBurson 9y ago
And then in the very next sentence he says “Water could be the most abundant source of hydrogen if one could separate the hydrogen from its strong bond with oxygen in the water by using a catalyst.” "Sensationalism and poor science communication" is not the half of it. He's lying outright.
- EvanAnderson 9y ago
  I cannot understand how somebody can hold the title "chief scientist" and simultaneously say things like that.

akiselev 9y ago

Primary in the sense that we can utilize hydrogen directly for energy (terrestrial fusion and fuel cell) just like with coal and other fossil fuels It has nothing to do with market share

EvanAnderson 9y ago
"Primary energy source" is a term with a specific meaning. I'm not talking about market share. Primary energy sources do not require any type of conversion. Fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, and solar are all primary energy sources. Free hydrogen isn't found in nature. It can be made by splitting water using energy from a primary source. The catalyst described in this press release makes that process more efficient, but it still takes energy from a primary source to create hydrogen. Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_energy
- derefr 9y ago
  > Free hydrogen isn't found in nature. Sure it is; you just have to go kind of far out of the solar system before you'll start running into it. Molecular clouds of hydrogen are what makes those pretty Hubble pictures of nebulae. :)
  - EvanAnderson 9y ago
    Heh heh... you're bringing back memories of "Fuel Scoops" in Elite on my C64!

ScottBurson 9y ago

And then in the very next sentence he says “Water could be the most abundant source of hydrogen if one could separate the hydrogen from its strong bond with oxygen in the water by using a catalyst.” "Sensationalism and poor science communication" is not the half of it. He's lying outright.

EvanAnderson 9y ago
I cannot understand how somebody can hold the title "chief scientist" and simultaneously say things like that.