Lovins

Posted by David Roberts at 4:57 PM on 26 Jul 2007

Read more about: Amory Lovins

Hey, did y'all notice that my interview with Amory Lovins is up? Go read it, if it so pleaseth you to do so.

For story: Lovins
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hydrogen

I notice the subject of hydrogen came up only in passing. That's surprising. I wonder if this means that he's (finally) moving away from the hydrogen concept, because he's realized that it's not a good solution.

I really hope so. I have alot of respect for Lovins, both for what he's done and for the revolutionary nature of his ideas. Everyone makes mistakes, and I wouldn't hold hydrogen against him. But it's discouraging to me (and destructive to his mission) for him to continue to promote an approach that is really very much a solution looking for a suitable problem.

by GreenEngineer at 10:56 AM on 27 Jul 2007

Targets of opportunity

Lovins restricts data to known manufactured components. Opinions are not worth much in the business world. In the real world, everybody is interested in themselves. Me too. My motivation to get our economy free from oil is to reduce my cost for war.

Hydrogen is a wonderful energy carrier. We just do not know how to use it, yet. There are, or will be, commercial methods to do all kinds of things, like making liquid hydrocarbons from CO2 and H2. The early days of making electricity (Franklin et al) were also clumsy and prohibitive.

The private profit motive is most reliable. I expect a narrow need for some liquid fuels in the future.

The Government reduced mass transit in support of a very strong auto/oil political constituency. Working with Government is like walking across a tar pit.

by sunflower at 11:22 AM on 27 Jul 2007

Well said, boys

He is now off to switchgrass. I wonder who started the whole switchgrass thing? Wouldn't it be interesting to go back and find the first guy who publicly suggested using it? I remain agnostic on that particular technology. Time will tell.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 8:35 PM on 27 Jul 2007

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