From: jciccare@adobe.com (John Ciccarelli)
Subject: Re: Natural Gas?
Summary: A good transition fuel toward solar/hydrogen
Reply-To: jciccare@adobe.com (John Ciccarelli)
Organization: Adobe Systems, Mountain View, CA
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 18:02:54 GMT

In article <1992Dec15.021225.242@netcom.com> ladasky@netcom.com (John J. Ladasky II) writes:

>Isn't natural gas a non-renewable resource?  Is it a good idea to tie 
>our economy to something else that will evenutally run out, even if it 
>is found in great quantities in the United States?

Natural gas *is* non-renewable, but it's several steps in the right 
direction, which is toward hydrogen.  First, natural gas is quite a 
bit less polluting than gasoline.  Second, it will take awhile to run 
out, we have good reserves of it, and the world's reserves aren't 
concentrated in the Middle East.

Why hydrogen?  Solar cells are rapidly becoming economical, and solar 
electric plants can be used to "renewably" generate hydrogen from 
seawater.  Such a solar/hydrogen-based economy doesn't require massive-
scale power plants, and could be replicated worldwide.  Hydrogen can be 
shipped using conventional gas pipeline technology, and probably in 
immobilized solid form using some emerging materials.  

Conventional burning of hydrogen emits only water vapor, plus nitrogen 
oxides from air reacting to the heat of the combustion.  Fuel-cell 
hydrogen "burning" emits *no* nitrogen oxides, and fuel cells are rapidly 
becoming economical.  They are scalable from small auto size, to 
"apartment-size" units that can provide several city blocks with power
and hot water -- without the power-line losses of a remote generating 
plant.  I believe one California utility is presently installing such an 
in-city power plant.  A very low pollution, long-range car or bus of 
ten years from now may use a hydrogen fuel cell to drive electric wheel 
motors.  It would require only a modest-size battery since it would be 
essentially running off hydrogen.

>The natural-gas representative touted the environmental benefits of 
>natural gas, but I'm suspicious.  Anyone care to comment?

The benefits are substantial (30-50% pollution reduction), both in terms 
of smog and carbon dioxide emissions.  There is an excellent article on 
in a recent WorldWatch magazine (as well as a discussion of why 
environmentalists are finding gas a good transition fuel -- and good 
politics because it splits the monolithic "oil lobby" into separate
interests based on fuel type).  I believe an issue of Scientific American 
within the past year examined natural gas and hydrogen from a 
whole-system perspective (generation, transportation, storage, usage, 
pollution).  I highly recommend both articles and can get the exact 
issue dates if desired.

>Does it make sense to pursue natural gas technologies if the goal is 
>zero emissions?  I'm concerned that any new technology will require 
>an investment in infrastructure (e.g., filling stations,
>vehicle maintenance skills) and that, if natural gas fails to meet the
>zero-emission standard, we will be developing two new technologies in 
>parallel.

Though gas isn't zero-emission, it makes good sense both in the present
and as a transition fuel.  The bulk of the "infrastructure" is in place 
-- the pipelines and pipes that connect to your furnace and water heater 
and also to the corner gas station.  CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) 
is already being used instead of diesel in some buses, with good results.  
And LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) tankers don't foul coastlines and 
fisheries when/if they sink (a problem that could be nearly eliminated 
with a global "Sea Traffic Control" system).

In summary, natural gas is a substantial improvement over the present 
oil-based technology and cartel-based world politics, and its 
infrastructure provides a bridge to a truly renewable and clean 
solar/hydrogen future.

-- 
John Ciccarelli           Adobe Systems,  1585 Charleston |    _~C      __C
jciccare@mv.us.adobe.com  Mountain View CA USA 94039-7900 |  ='\<,    ='\<,
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