As the planet warms, there is a growing effort to find innovative solutions to tackle the problem of climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions at energy production, improving energy efficiency, or capturing and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. While on the surface, some of these solutions may seem like a step in the right direction, the actual science and math illuminate serious flaws that make them nonviable or net negative ventures. Many of these solutions are often backed by the same entities that fueled the climate crisis in the first place and are merely green-washed attempts to squeeze in more profit as society transitions away from dirty fossil fuels.
Here are some of the false solutions being promoted:
Hydrogen & Hydrogen Blended Pipelines
With the United States’ renewed interest in hydrogen as an energy carrier and the recent proposals for federally-funded hydrogen hubs, VOICES has added a new focus to its False Solutions advocacy efforts: the transportation of pure hydrogen & hydrogen blended with natural gas in pipelines.
VOICES has submitted comments to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration asking them to forgo their information collection requests on hydrogen blending and just say no to hydrogen blending in pipelines. Should PHMSA still pursue hydrogen blending as an option, we also submitted comments demanding better safety, research, and information access measures before allowing hydrogen blending to occur, following recommendations from the Pipeline Safety Trust. Read the comments below.
VOICES Coalition Comment v1 On PHMSA-2022-0085 (6-24-2024)
VOICES Coalition Comment v2 On PHMSA-2022-0085 (6-24-2024)
Learn more about the problems with hydrogen/hydrogen blended pipelines here.