Smelling Land: The Hydrogen Defense Against Climate Catastrophe

by David Sanborn Scott

Climate destabilization is an unprecedented, global environmental threat. Yet neither the public nor governments seem aware that any solution must have hydrogen at its core. Hydrogen will bring a safer, cleaner, brighter future.

Because any energy source can produce hydrogen, using this fuel will allow sunlight, wind or nuclear energy to power cars, ships and airplanes. Why is hydrogen essential? Take just one example: Airplanes can't fly on electricity. But they can sure fly on hydrogen-farther, faster, safer, cleaner and with larger payloads.

Written by Dr. David Sanborn Scott, one of the foremost experts on energy systems, Smelling Land is the first book to properly describe, in plain English, how the energy system really works - and why the twin energy currencies, hydrogen and electricity, are essential components of any strategy that can steer us clear of climate disaster.

About the Author:
David Sanborn Scott is vice-president of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy

485 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2008

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very highly recommended! At the very least, it's a good eye-opener book, with some really great insights on real ways to tackle climate-change. My major beef, which is HUGE in the practical sense ("practical" being what this book attempts to be), is the time-scale that David Scott is so optimistic about. He makes a good case for a full-fledged hydrogen economy, but seems to be satisfied with a rather long timeline. The problem is, even if we succeed in meeting the timeline he lays out, I'm not convinced that it would be in time. He talks about the hydrogen economy "starting to shape up" around 2050, which many experts seem to think might be too late. And he seems to dismiss other renewable sources too easily. He takes for granted innovation in his own field (hydrogen), and dismisses other sources due to their current immaturity, which just seems backwards.

And speaking of Mr. Scott's field, his tremendous involvement in hydrogen infrastructure and research is both a positive and a negative. Yes, he definitely knows what he's talking about, but it also seems like he's looking at things through rose-tinted glasses. Not that I blame him -- when you utterly invest yourself in something as he's done his entire life, I'm sure that it sort of becomes your baby. I'm concerned that this might make him much less willing to accept that maybe his pride and joy won't be the be-all-end-all of the future. All I'm saying i simply that I recommend taking his well-meaning conclusions with a grain of salt.

It seems like I filled this "review" with only the bad points, but I suppose I'm just explaining the only reasons I couldn't bring myself to give it 5 stars. It's a comprehensive book that takes on a few over-arching topics (like rehashing climate-change and energy system history for anyone uninformed), before moving onto the practical things that are probably completely new to you. Highly recommended!

As an aside, I plan (and might recommend others) to read Joseph Romm's The Hype About Hydrogen, just to balance things out :)

[Jordan Venn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pertinent and invigorating read. Should be mandatory reading for any politicians that have any influence on energy policy.