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September 2001
6 x 9, 301 pp., 34 illus.
(CLOTH)
Trade

ISBN-10:
0-262-08295-0
ISBN-13:
978-0-262-08295-2

Out Of Print
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Paper (2002)
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Tomorrow's Energy
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet
Peter Hoffmann
Foreword by Tom Harkin


Hydrogen is the quintessential eco-fuel. This invisible, tasteless gas is the most abundant element in the universe. It is the basic building block and fuel of stars and an essential raw material in innumerable biological and chemical processes. As a completely nonpolluting fuel, it may hold the answer to growing environmental concerns about atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide and the resultant Greenhouse Effect. In this book Peter Hoffmann describes current research toward a hydrogen-based economy. He presents the history of hydrogen energy and discusses the environmental dangers of continued dependence on fossil fuels.

Hydrogen is not an energy source but a carrier that, like electricity, must be manufactured. Today hydrogen is manufactured by "decarbonizing" fossil fuels. In the future it will be derived from water and solar energy and perhaps from "cleaner" versions of nuclear energy. Because it can be made by a variety of methods, Hoffmann argues, it can be easily adapted by different countries and economies. Hoffmann acknowledges the social, political, and economic difficulties in replacing current energy systems with an entirely new one. Although the process of converting to a hydrogen-based economy would be complex, he demonstrates that the environmental and health benefits would far outweigh the costs.

About the Author

Peter Hoffmann is editor and publisher of The Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter. He is a former Washington correspondent for McGraw-Hill World News and the author of The Forever Fuel: The Story of Hydrogen.


Reviews

"Peter Hoffmann...is able to communicate well for those new to the field."
New Scientist

"This book has everything the reader needs to know about hydrogen...."
Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs





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