THE BOCKRIS-TAKAHASHI PLAN TO SAVE PLANET EARTH AND HUMANITY

Over the past few years, John Bockris and I have exchanged, easily, a hundred e-mails on the matter of hydrogen, methanol, wind power and related topics. John is credited with coining the term, the Hydrogen Economy. We first met in 1974 when Nejat Veziroglu convened his hydrogen romantics. We sometimes don't agree with each other, but we absolutely do feel that methanol is the prime solution to Peak Oil, Global Warming and our economy. John jumped into cold fusion. I have always felt there is something to this concept. John attempted to convert base metals into gold. I think he actually did this, but, perhaps, not with commercial prospects. I proposed making hydrogen free, and that was mostly ridiculed. I have, thus, suggested to John the Bockris-Takahashi Plan to Save Planet Earth and Humanity.

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From: jbockris@cox.net

To: patkentak@hotmail.com

Subject: letter

Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:21:18 -0400

Dear Pat:

Thank you for you note of August the 17^th.

I think we talked before about the methanol economy. I’ve become very keen on it recently, and we’re going to make quite a show of it.

It’s really “liquid hydrogen” isn’t it?

The key point is to collect the CO₂ from the atmosphere, combine it with the hydrogen from water and burn the methanol, giving rise to CO₂, i.e, the CO₂ is replaced.

There will be several advances of course, as you know, as you were one of the suggestor’s of it, except you left out the vital point of getting the CO₂from the atmosphere.

Now, I think that with Olah’s support, this really might fly.

It’s so very simple. Hardly any change in infrastructure, just collect electricity from wind, solar, etc., make hydrogen, and the rest follows, very cheaply too.

A methanol fuel cell has quite a life you know, as is, without further research. Laptop computers, etc.

Sincerely,

John Bockris

Lecturer, Imperial College, London University (1945-1953)

Professor, University of Pennsylvania (1953-1972);

Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University (1978-1997)

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Dear John:

I fervently wish that your total carbon dioxide to methanol to carbon dioxide...can prevail. Do everything you can, with George Olah, to attain this ideal system. There is the matter of funding, but I later have a solution for that.

For the sake of reality, though, let me point out one possible fatal flaw: it will cost too much to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make methanol. Someday, perhaps, but for the next several decades, I would offer that methanol from the gasification and catalysis of biomass provides the sensible pathway.

Then there is that second requirement: a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) for vehicles. Yes, Toshiba should by next year market a DMFC for portable electronics. However, nothing much has been done about larger applications. This will take about a decade, IF MAJOR FUNDS ARE ALLOWED FOR R&D...and at this point, the Department of Energy is still ambivalent, if not actually still antagonistic, regarding methanol. There is that lingering fear from the Farm Lobby that remains.

All this is both silly and tragic, for what better than the heartland of America (our farmers) joining forces with motor city Detroit, to gain the patents for the DMFC and produce the fuel (methanol) to power our transport sector? My HuffPo written in March underscores this opportunity. In the meantime, though, I haven't seen any particular movement to build this bridge to our future.

Thus, I would like to propose the Bockris-Takahashi Plan to combat both Global Warming and Peak Oil, while rescuing our economy: a billion dollar/year R&D program to develop the technology and systems to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce methanol, linked to a billion dollar/year farm-GM-Ford partnership to produce biomethanol and take control of the direct methanol fuel cell. If we can spend more than one thousand billion dollars (a trillion) to save our financial sector, surely, this relatively picayune amount to solidify the foundation for long-term economic success, plus saving Planet Earth and Humanity, can be well justified.

Aloha.

Pat

Daily Blog

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Okay, we have a plan. Now what?

Anyone out there interested in this effort, please let us know who you are and join our partnership! Consider this as Day One to develop the Simple Solutions for Planet Earth and Humanity.

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In the North Atlantic, Hurricane Bill will soon diminish because of the cold waters, and appears to be avoiding making landfall, only causing major swells. In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Hilda, now at 40 MPH, will strengthen over the next four or five days, but remain well south of Hawaii.

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