To understand the chances of the human race to make a smooth transition to a non-polluting, renewable solar hydrogen based economy we must understand economic and cultural inertia, core technological advance, fossil fuel depletion rates and political concepts. All of these will be discussed in August.
1. Greetings and Introductions: Chapter President, John Gotthold, greets all attendees and asks each attendee to state their name and a short synopsis of their background and what they hope to learn by attending the meeting. 10 minutes.
2. Government Support for Hydrogen: Is it significant that the US Department of Energy has created a separate website called US department of Energy HYDROGEN PROGRAM? We examine where US government support is going and will the support lead to a viable hydrogen economy base before oil is gone?
3. Business Deals: The first million unit contract for hydrogen fuel cells has been signed. It's only for small lap top power supplies, but it has vast significance in that it may put fuel cells into the hands of a million early adopters who use it to do business. If hydrogen can power your laptop reliably can it also drive your car? Is business moving to solar power?
4. The Tipping Point Revisited: Last month's most intense discussion was about trying to define when US citizens en-masse would decide that they wanted to buy and use hydrogen powered products. The conclusion was that they would keep buying oil, no matter how high the price, to keep their current lifestyles going, until the oil ran out. Only then would they decide that they needed to change. Way too late to fend off economic collapse! What products can start the public demanding hydrogen before that fateful time?
5. International: Carbon emission rationing cards are being proposed in Great Britain. To meet the goals of the Kyoto treaty each citizen would be granted a number of carbon credits. Every fill up at the petrol station, every airline ticket, every bus ticket, every refill of your home heating tank, would ding your carbon credit card, as well as your wallet. Is rationing the answer to moving the world to hydrogen?
6. Video: Renewable Power- Earths Clean Energy Destiny - From Hydrogen 2000 - 29 minutes.
