October 6, 2002
H-TWO
I find it odd that we fear one element as being the potential killer of us all, and, yet, at the same time, consider it to be the possible savior of our way of life?
Isn't that the way we double-think hydrogen?
A great deal of the manner in which we think about the element today, was determined for us by the film depicting the demise of a German dirigible "The Hindenburg" at Lakehurst, New Jersey - how long ago was that? 1936, I think, and that newsreel clip which shows the huge structure of the amazing craft being consumed rapidly by moving lines of fire, is one that seems to be unforgetable. A few minutes, and it lies a crushed hulk of girders on the ground and we have vivid memories of a few desperate humans attempting to run from the burning prye.
Several theories have been evolved as to the exact cause of the disaster, but, in the puiblic mind only one culprit has long-since been established.- hydrogen.
The :"Hindenburg", on its trips from Germany to the Americas, was levitated by hydrogen gas pumped into it's fabric containers. On extended flights or in flying back to Germany a less volaitile gas - Helium - was added.
That disaster, understandably, established a public fear and distrust of hydrogen which endures to this day.
As we come more and more to need a new source of energy to keep our poliferating numbers of mechanisms going into the centuries ahead, we are increasingly turning to studies involving hydrogen - especially plans to extract such enegry from the tremendous fund of sea water available in all parts of the world.. Many see our future based on the development of ways to extract this tremendous source of enegry and to adapt it to the use of our systems.
We have a new generaton of scientists now, men and women who can work toward such a goal without such a fear of hydorgen. They have new understandings of its dangers and benefits which have been developed over the half-century or so since the violent few minutes at Lakehurst. We also have a new generaion of young people, too,.who will be faced with energy needs and who will have no strong memory of past disasters.. Many of the objections which people of my generation would deem to be worthy of special prfecautioin, are no longer valid.
The time has arrived for us to step into the future with positive plans to extract energy from seawater or from some other source of hydrogen. No doubt, our present involvments in war will affect plans for such egenry studies, but , remember, too, that major developments have come about in war time which would have been considered as impossible in times of peace and contentment.
Now may be the moment for action.
A.L.M. October 6, 2002 [c589wds]
