[Please note that the views presented by individual contributors are not necessarily representative of the views of ATCA, which is neutral. ATCA conducts collective Socratic dialogue on global opportunities and threats.]

We are grateful to Stanford Ovshinsky of Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) for the submission of his think piece to ATCA, "The Dawn of the New Hydrogen Economy." The vision of a new Hydrogen Economy seems particularly timely given the growing scarcity of fossil fuels and the impact of carbon emissions on pollution within cities and global climate change.

Stanford Ovshinsky, President, Chief Scientist and Technologist of ECD Ovonics, based in Michigan USA, was awarded the 2005 Innovation Award for Energy and the Environment by The Economist for his pioneering work in and the development of the high-powered Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery technology. The Economist's Innovation Award celebrates the global achievements and innovations of individuals who have positively transformed global business.

Stanford Ovshinsky invented his own field of electronics and holds nearly 300 patents for groundbreaking technology including a battery that powers hybrid electrical cars. In 1960, Mr Ovshinsky founded Energy Conversion Devices (ECD), which pioneered the new field of Ovonics (as in Ovshinsky Electronics), developing amorphous semiconductors that led to optoelectronic copying and fax machines as well as flat-panel liquid crystal displays. This technology also formed the basis for rewritable CD-ROMS and manufacturing improvements in photovoltaic solar panels that can be made in continuous rolls. In 1994, Mr Ovshinsky created the NiMH battery, a high energy storage, environmentally friendly, maintenance free, rechargeable battery. ECD has a joint venture with General Motors to mass produce the battery for electric cars around the world. Mr Ovshinsky is currently working on hydrogen storage devices that could lead to a new generation of environmentally friendly batteries. He writes:

Dear DK and Colleagues

Re: The Dawn of the new Hydrogen economy

The ages of mankind have been classified by the materials they use. The Bronze Age. The Iron Age. The Age of Silicon. This is no accident. Materials are the basis of new technologies. And new technologies make possible new industries and jobs. Today, we are at the dawn of a new age — the Hydrogen Age — and what is already being called the Hydrogen Economy. Not because of what might develop years from now, but for what is happening already. There are literally billions of consumer nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries in use, from laptops to cell phones. Virtually all of the hybrid electric vehicles, which are causing a profound change in the automotive industry, use NiMH batteries.

Hydrogen-powered products produce no pollution and no global climate-changing CO2 emissions. Additionally, hydrogen is practically limitless. We can and must reduce our dependence on oil to reduce the potential for energy-related wars, inflation, and economic instability.

With hydrogen technology, we have the means to provide the complete energy loop that is crucial to the Hydrogen Economy. We generate electrical energy with the thin-film photovoltaic (PV) products — rain or shine — because PVs absorb the wide spectrum of light the sun radiates. We store electrical energy in NiMH battery products.

We distribute hydrogen through metal hydride storage materials technology. We use hydrogen to power a wide range of stationary and mobile devices through metal hydride fuel cell technology or as a fuel source for internal combustion engines. The possibilities on the information side are just as compelling.

Thin-film solar cell products are being used on five continents, from the roofs of a bottling plant to helping operate a major oil field. Proprietary triple-junction solar cells generate electricity that can produce renewable hydrogen via the process of electrolysis (breaking up of water).

Metal hydride fuel cell technology has the potential to enable a whole new category of stationary and mobile power products when fully developed.

The Unified Memory technology is being talked about by many as the next great revolution in the computing industry. What do all of these scientific advances have in common?

1. All are based on atomically engineered (nanotechnology) materials.
2. All are either in the marketplace today or are on the pathway to commercialisation.
3. All are based on inventions from ECD Ovonics.

The mission is to turn new science into new industry. The focus of new science is on energy and information, the twin pillars of the global economy. With hydrogen technology, we have the means to provide the complete energy loop that is crucial to the Hydrogen Economy.

We generate electrical energy with the thin-film photovoltaic (PV) products — rain or shine — because PVs absorb the wide spectrum of light the sun radiates. We store electrical energy in NiMH battery products. The Hydrogen Age is here. The Hydrogen Economy is here. We are taking our new science of amorphous and disordered materials and creating new basic Indus-tries. And those industries have the potential to change the course of humankind.

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We look forward to your further thoughts, observations and views. Thank you.

Best wishes

For and on behalf of DK Matai, Chairman, Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance (ATCA)

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ATCA: The Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance is a philanthropic expert initiative founded in 2001 to understand and to address complex global challenges. ATCA conducts collective Socratic dialogue on global opportunities and threats arising from climate chaos, radical poverty, organised crime, extremism, informatics, nanotechnology, robotics, genetics, artificial intelligence and financial systems. Present membership of ATCA is by invitation only and has over 5,000 distinguished members: including several from the House of Lords, House of Commons, EU Parliament, US Congress & Senate, G10's Senior Government officials and over 1,500 CEOs from financial institutions, scientific corporates and voluntary organisations as well as over 750 Professors from academic centres of excellence worldwide.

The views presented by individual contributors are not necessarily representative of the views of ATCA, which is neutral. Please do not forward or use the material circulated without permission and full attribution.

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intentBlog:

The Dawn of the New Hydrogen Economy

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