Fuel "Economies"

The "Hydrogen Economy"

In discussions about the future of vehicle energy, I often see people talk about "The Hydrogen Economy".

The use of this term clearly indicates that the person using it is focussing on the commercial and financial aspects of energy supply rather than on any of the other aspects. They are looking at how companies and, by association, those in Government can commercially exploit future energy supply. They are looking to how profits can be made, taxes levied, and empires built or maintained.

This concerns me because, although the health of the economy is important, it's by far not the only issue at stake. In fact I would say it was the least important one, because it will take care of itself.

Whatever our future energy supplies look like, there will be companies making money from that energy supply, and this can support a thriving economy. What frightens people is that it may not be the same companies as the ones that control the market today. In fact it's entirely possible we fuel our vehicles of the future from a mix of suppliers as well as self-generating much of our own energy.

This scares the hell out of the established petrochemical companies, as it erodes their traditional near-monopoly control over the market, and their influence with Governments. And there are already signs it is starting to happen:

Why the Oil Industry is Running Into Major Trouble

The Oil Economy

It's worth pointing out that we currently live in an "Oil Economy" which is largely run under the control of a handful of large corporations and Governments. It's fairly clear to everyone except the wilfully ignorant that the invasion of Iraq (and, probably, the war in Afghanistan) was not about terrorism, 9/11, threat of attack, WMDs, or mistreatment of their civilian populations. It was about oil.

More specifically, the attack on Iraq was most likely about protecting the Petrodollar: currently most trading in oil is done using the US dollar and it is largely this which makes the dollar a strong currency and, to a degree, makes America rich and powerful. Saddam was was hugely influential in the Middle East, and was leading the way to switch the trading currency away from the US dollar to the Euro (see Saddam Turns His Back on Greenbacks). This could have been devastating to the US economy. Many observers believe this could have been the main catalyst behind invading Iraq.

What is clear is that "the oil economy" is so powerful and influential that protecting it can drive Governments to start wars that kill thousands of it's own citizens, as well over 100,000 enemy civilians, and which cost trillions of dollars.

The current oil economy is bad for us as citizens and as consumers. It is an abusive, corrupt, and murderous model that exploits us as consumers, corrupts our Governments, and makes small fortunes for corporations and the handful of people that run or, in the case of politicians, are run by them.

So what's really happening?

When people talk about "The Hydrogen Economy", what is really happening is that the companies who currently control "The Oil Economy" are trying to find a new business model to transition to, to maintain their power and influence.

They are promoting hydrogen as a fuel because it maintains a large part of their monopoly control of the fuel supply chain. It maintains the population's dependence on their product. And it's possible to use misdirection and lies to make it sound like a cheap, abundant, clean and renewable fuel when it is actually none of these things.

The reality is somewhat different. As it stands today, a "Hydrogen Economy" is bad for the environment, and bad for us as citizens.

So when someone talks about "The Hydrogen Economy", I see someone whose main concern is support for maintaining the continuing dependence on, and control of the economy by, the oil companies and their cronies.

Whose primary concern is how they can exploit us as a consumers to line their own pockets and to maintain power and influence.