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Completely Sustainable Emission-Free Technologies Already Exist: So Why Aren't We Implementing Them?

Though there is much misinformation concerning these matters I am happy to inform you that all of the technologies to create a completely emission-free and sustainable energy economy already exist. It is commonly called the hydrogen economy. Some would claim that it is not currently feasible, but that is a myth. This leads to the question of why we are not implementing these technologies more rapidly. This article will address both of these questions.

First, the article will discuss the manner in which the ecological appropriateness of technologies is normally judged. This will be followed by a discussion of the reasons why a shift to alternative energy sources is imperative, as well as of the hydrogen economy we already have the technology to begin converting to. Finally, the difference between what is "economical" and what is "feasible" from a technological perspective will be introduced in order to argue for the crucial importance of government subsidies in the development and promotion of this alternative energy system.

1. Assessing the Ecological Appropriateness of Technologies:

Robert Kates has recently pointed out that there are no absolute criteria available by which we can immediately differentiate eco-friendly from ecologically damaging technologies. None the less, technologies may be ranked relative to one another in order to determine which is the /better/ technology according to the following criteria, which are generally accepted throughout the ecological literature.

A. Sustainability: in other words, can the technology continue to provide for human needs not only over the long-term, but in perpetuity.

B. Ecological impacts: in other words, is the technology damaging or polluting in any way, and what is its ecological footprint (its impact on the earth).

2. Why Alternative Energy Is Necessary:

Alternative energy is necessary because our society's dependence on fossil fuels is associated with a wide range of ecologically damaging consequences. Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas. All are derived from prehistoric organic material which has been transformed over thousands of years by geological processes. Thus, fossil fuels literally are "fossils" of prehistoric living things in a sense.

The negative ecological impacts of fossil fuel dependence include: global warming from CO2 emissions, acid rain from sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions, particulate

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