Scientists tackle the question: 'What will it really take to stop global...( ments hydrogen production storage and...)

CO2 emissions from fossil fuels trigger global warming by enhancing the atmosphere's "greenhouse effect", which traps energy that would otherwise radiate from earth back into space. Due to population growth and industrialization, atmospheric CO2 has increased from 275 parts per million to 370 parts per million over the last century, and is projected to pass 550 ppm this century. Given that 85% of the world's energy is derived from carbon dioxide-emitting fossil fuel, climate models and data indicate that the earth's temperature could climb 1.5 to 4.5 degrees Celsius (3 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit) over the next century, comparable in magnitude but opposite in sign to global cooling of the last Ice Age.

"What our research clearly shows is that scientific innovation can only reverse this trend if we adopt an aggressive, global strategy for developing alternative fuel sources that can produce up to three times the amount of power we use today," said Dr. Hoffert. "Currently, these technologies simply don't exist either operationally or as pilot projects."

Dr. Hoffert's team's analysis clearly delineates the advantages and limitations of each alternative power source. For example, while replacing combustion engines with fuel cell engines appears promising in cutting down the CO2 emissions vehicles, the study demonstrates that the current process of producing the hydrogen required to power fuel cells actually creates more CO2 emissions than the combustion engines would create. Photovoltaic or "solar" energy, which requires only the sun as fuel, would require surface arrays of roughly the size of the entire Sahara desert to meet the world's current power needs and there is limited infrastructure for transmitting this power across distances. Even solar space power, which the study points out is more efficient in harnessing power because it eva
'"/>

Contact: Shonna Keogan
sk91@nyu.edu
212-998-6797
New York University
31-Oct-2002