60. How Great Is Hydrogen?
How Great Is Hydrogen? Doesn’t hydrogen seem like the perfect fuel of the future? It’s everywhere! Literally 90% of the universe. A pound of hydrogen gas contains three times the energy of a pound of gasoline. When it burns it produces water, with zero carbon emissions! What’s the hold-up with saving the planet with hydrogen fuel?! Well, there are a few problems: Pure hydrogen is almost non-existent on Earth; Producing it requires a LOT of energy; Producing it cleanly costs a lot of money; Transporting and storing it is difficult and expensive. So first of all, there is virtually no plain hydrogen gas on Earth. Most of the hydrogen on Earth is in the form of water. And counter-intuitively, the hydrogen in water is “burned up.” It has already given up its heat just in the process of becoming water. In order to get energy out of it again, you have to break its bonds, which requires - wait for it - ENERGY! How much energy? In fact, more than you can get from burning the hydrogen, so