New Innovations Leading to a Cleaner and Brighter Future- Jack Maraziti

Countries around the world have begun utilizing renewable resources in order to combat the imposing global warming crisis.  The most popular methods involve converting wind, solar, or other renewable sources into electricity.  This clean electricity can then be used to power our common everyday items.  However, this clean electricity only accounts for a small portion of transportation and fuel for our homes.  Fossil fuels such as gasoline, oil, and natural gas are still widely used and are the leading contributors to global warming.  But, as new technologies develop, hydrogen can now be used to replace these popular pollutants.

Hydrogen molecules are created through two processes.  One process involves the use of fossil fuels, which only leads to more pollution, while the less common process uses a method called electrolysis.  Electrolysis uses electricity to split the hydrogen molecule from the water molecules.  With such an abundance of water on Earth, hydrogen power would be a convenient source of clean energy as it does not release carbon when burned.  The only thing holding science back from claiming hydrogen as a renewable resource was the fact that greater amounts of carbon would have to be emitted in order to split off the hydrogen.  According to power-technology.com, electrolysis only accounts for 2% of hydrogen production because there is often not a surplus of clean electricity produced by renewable resources.  But, recently, the Orkney Islands off of the coast of Northern Scotland have devised a plan to create hydrogen power.

The islands location produces a climate that includes many storms and strong winds.  These driving winds help to power wind turbines as well as tidal turbines in the ocean creating a surplus of clean energy.  The Orkney project manager of Community Energy Scotland, Megan McNeill, reported to CNN that, "Wind turbines needed to be switched off on a daily basis, as power cables reached capacity, leaving clean energy unused."  Not wanting to waste this valuable source of clean energy, McNeill and her team began to research and develop a plan that would enable them to store the energy in another form other than electricity.  They started to use electrolysis in order to create hydrogen, which was a viable solution.

Now the island has created hydrogen fill-up stations for cars.  They are also creating a hydrogen powered school as well as a hydrogen powered ferry to run between the islands and mainland Scotland.  Hydrogen can also be burned in place of natural gas and used to heat homes and cook food.  The list of possible uses for this utilitarian and valuable resource continue on.  Orkney Island may be the first to unlock the potential of hydrogen power and act as an example to the rest of the world on how to become further environmental friendly.

If this power could continue to be harvested at a high rate throughout the world, such as on Orkney Island, it could help to replace many of the fossil fuels used today.  This would reduce global warming as well as the other detrimental impacts that it has on the world.  Even though many common people do not have the ability to contribute to creating hydrogen power, we can still be conscientious of our decision in order to save our world.  Every effort, no matter how big or small each contribution is, will help in humanity's fight against global warming.

Sources:

• https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/business/orkney-hydrogen-power/index.html
• http://www.fchea.org/in-transition/2019/7/22/unlocking-the-potential-of-hydrogen-energy-storage