Hydrogen: A Missed Opportunity for Climate Mitigation in the Auto Industry
Key Ideas
- Hydrogen was considered a potentially better path than pure EVs for mitigating climate change by involving the petrochemical industry in a greener future.
- Hydrogen offers advantages such as compatibility with existing gas infrastructure, potential for greener energy generation, and less impact on oil, gas, and coal resources.
- Government subsidies would have been necessary to facilitate the conversion to hydrogen, which could have potentially shifted petrochemical companies towards supporting green efforts.
- The article suggests that AI could have played a role in modeling the feasibility and success of different paths, such as hydrogen or pure EVs, for mitigating resistance to climate-friendly initiatives.
The article delves into the missed opportunity of utilizing hydrogen as a more effective path towards mitigating climate change in the auto industry. It highlights the obstacles posed by the petrochemical industry, emphasizing the political nature of the shift towards electric vehicles (EVs). The author discusses the potential benefits of hydrogen over pure EVs, including its adaptability to existing gas infrastructure, potential for locally generated fuel, and minimal environmental impact. Government subsidies were deemed crucial for the industry's conversion to hydrogen, with a suggestion that such funding could have incentivized petrochemical companies to support green initiatives. The role of AI in modeling and predicting outcomes for different energy paths is also explored, proposing that AI could have facilitated informed decision-making towards a more sustainable future. The article concludes by underlining the importance of leveraging technology, like AI, to navigate complex challenges and foster a more sustainable trajectory in the auto industry and beyond.