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What is ‘white hydrogen’ and could it be a fuel of the future?

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What is ‘white hydrogen’ and could it be a fuel of the future?
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Hydrogen has been touted as the ‘fuel of the future’. It only emits heat and water when it burns, making it an appealing alternative to fossil fuels.

But the majority of hydrogen production currently relies on gas or coal, in processes that emit a lot of CO2.

‘Green’ hydrogen, which is made using renewable energy, offers a promising – but expensive – alternative. So what if there was a way to cut out these production processes altogether?

Earth holds vast supplies of natural hydrogen that could be extracted from the ground.

A huge discovery of this so-called ‘white’ hydrogen in France earlier this year sparked excitement that it could become a clean, cheap and renewable energy source.

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Switzerland soon joined the search, finding natural hydrogen in the Graubünden canton in spring. In summer, the country began probing rocks in Valais for further deposits.

Could white hydrogen hold the key to safe and clean energy, and why is it only just being explored?

What is white hydrogen?

Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element on Earth and occurs naturally in everything from water to plants.

Until recently, however, significant quantities of hydrogen gas in its pure form were not thought to be present within the earth.

An accidental discovery was made in Mali in 2012. A borehole drilled for a well decades earlier was found to be emitting almost pure natural hydrogen.

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Since then, geologists have increasingly been experimenting with extracting supplies of this natural gas – thought to form through water-mineral reactions – from beneath the earth’s surface.

Unlike fossil fuel stores, which take millions of years to form, natural or ‘white’ hydrogen is continuously replenished.

Is white hydrogen the future of safe and clean energy?

It isn’t yet clear exactly how white hydrogen deposits form, and whether they are commercially exploitable.

Startups and scientists are exploring this possibility – with some promising results.

“The earth has many locations where the right conditions co-exist to naturally produce and accumulate hydrogen, which can then be extracted for societal use,” Dr Michael Webber, a professor in energy resources at the University of Texas, Austin, USA, tells Euronews Green.

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“The good news is that by letting the earth do the work for us, this source of hydrogen is likely much cleaner to produce than current methods of gasifying coal, reforming methane, or electrolysing water.”

Although most natural hydrogen is likely to be found in unreachable offshore locations, deposits have been discovered in Australia, eastern Europe, France, Oman, Spain and the US, as well as in Mali, West Africa.

In May, a large deposit of natural hydrogen was accidentally discovered in the Lorraine region of France. A research team from the University of Lorraine’s GeoRessources Lab, France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and energy producer La Française de l’Energie found it while testing methane levels in the soil.

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They are currently drilling deeper to find out exactly how much hydrogen there is, but estimate that there could be around 46 million tonnes – the equivalent of more than half of the world’s current annual production of grey hydrogen – according to CNRS.

Meanwhile in northeast Spain, exploration company Helios Aragón says it has located a reservoir of over one million tonnes of hydrogen, which it aims to start drilling in 2024.

It shows promise as a cheap alternative to green hydrogen, which currently costs roughly €5 per kilogram. White hydrogen costs just €0.50 per kilogram, news and research outlet Science reports.

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What are the problems with hydrogen energy?

White hydrogen may not be a silver bullet for the energy crisis, however.

Some scientists say the lack of data on hydrogen leaks and the potential harm they could cause is an issue for the emerging industry.

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If hydrogen seeps into the atmosphere, it can reduce the concentration of molecules that destroy the greenhouse gases there, counteracting its environmental benefits.

With a lack of technology to monitor hydrogen leaks, this could be a major blind spot.

“As with other sources of hydrogen, [natural hydrogen] needs to be handled with care to reduce safety risks and avoid leaks,” says Dr Webber.

But it may not be as significant an environmental risk as some believe.

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“Our research at UT Austin, which was presented [on Wednesday] at the ASME IMECE conference in New Orleans, concludes that the indirect global warming impact of fugitive hydrogen emissions is actually quite small compared to other life cycle greenhouse gas impacts, so the greenhouse risks from unwanted hydrogen leaks is minor.”

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Leaks aren’t the only concern when transporting hydrogen, though. It takes up a lot of space in gas form and requires a temperature of -253°C to be liquified, which could be prohibitively expensive.

There is also a lack of pipelines and distribution systems for hydrogen. The fossil fuel industry hopes that it could eventually move through existing infrastructure, such as gas pipelines. However, scientists say that hydrogen can corrode metal pipes and lead to cracking.

Not only are hydrogen molecules much smaller and lighter than those in methane, making them harder to contain, but they are also far more explosive than natural gas – raising safety concerns.

These are some of the reasons heat pumps and battery powered EVs won out over hydrogen-based alternatives, according to Science.

The fuel could be better suited to heavy-duty vehicles which can’t easily use batteries, such as trucks, ships and planes, as well as the steel industry and chemical processes like fertiliser production.

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Map: 7.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Vanuatu

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Map: 7.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Vanuatu

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 4 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “light,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown. The New York Times

A major, 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the Coral Sea on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The quake briefly prompted a tsunami alert for parts of Vanuatu, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, which is part of the National Weather Service. As of 2:14 p.m. local time, U.S. officials said the threat had passed.

The temblor happened at 12:47 p.m. Vanuatu time about 19 miles west of Port-Vila, Vanuatu, data from the agency shows.

U.S.G.S. data earlier reported that the magnitude was 7.4.

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As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

Aftershocks in the region

An aftershock is usually a smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same general area. Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.

Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles

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Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These events can be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake, and they can continue to affect already damaged locations.

Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Vanuatu time. Shake data is as of Monday, Dec. 16 at 9:01 p.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 9:02 a.m. Eastern.

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Report exposes Hamas terrorist crimes against families during Oct 7 massacre: 'kinocide'

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Report exposes Hamas terrorist crimes against families during Oct 7 massacre: 'kinocide'

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In the early hours of October 7, 2023, the Idan family of Kibbutz Nahal Oz was shattered when Hamas terrorists infiltrated their home. As the family tried to take refuge in their safe room, the terrorists murdered their eldest daughter, Maayan, in front of her parents and siblings, and then abducted the father, Tzachi. The scene was broadcast live on social media, forcing the nation to witness their agonizing last moments. 

At the same time, in Kibbutz Holit, 16-year-old Rotem Matias lay hiding under his mother’s lifeless body, texting his sisters the heartbreaking news: “Mom and Dad are dead. Sorry.”

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In Kfar Aza, Roee Idan was killed while holding his 3-year-old daughter, Abigail, as his older children watched in horror. Their mother, Smadar, was also shot before their eyes. Afterward, the children hid in a closet, trapped with their mother’s body, unsure of their younger sister’s fate, who was later abducted into Gaza.

ISRAELI POLICE SAY EXTREME SEXUAL VIOLENCE, RAPE BY HAMAS TERRORISTS WAS SYSTEMATIC

A bloodied handprint stains a wall in a Nir Oz house after Hamas terrorists attacked this kibbutz days earlier near the border of Gaza. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

These are just a few of the countless stories documented in a new report released on Tuesday, co-authored by Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, founder of the Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes Against Women and Children, and Dr. Michal Gilad and Dr. Ilya Rudyak. The report introduces the term “kinocide” to describe the systematic targeting and destruction of family units during the attack- an unprecedented atrocity that goes beyond typical warfare.

“A crime without a name for victims without a voice,” as Dr. Elkayam-Levy described it. “The perpetrators not only killed but deliberately sought to destroy the very foundation of human society: the family.”

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“The hardest crimes to witness were those involving families,” Dr. Elkayam-Levy continued, “While the Hamas perpetrators celebrated their violence, chanting religious slogans and broadcasting their actions on social media, the terror was not confined to the immediate victims-it was amplified globally.”

“The use of social media was crucial in spreading the terror, inspiring similar acts of violence elsewhere,” Merav Israeli-Amarant, CEO of the Civil Commission, told Fox News Digital. She referred to this tactic as the “terror theater” a term coined by legal scholar Tehila Schwartz Altshuler, explaining how the broadcasts were designed to radicalize and incite other terrorists.

body bags israeli soldiers

Israeli soldiers remove the bodies of civilians who were killed days earlier in an attack by Palestinian terrorists on this kibbutz near the border with Gaza, on Oct. 10, 2023 in Kfar Aza, Israel. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

As Elkayam-Levy and her team dug deeper, they realized that similar tactics have been documented in conflicts across the globe, from Argentina and Iraq to Syria, Sierra Leone and Myanmar. “We’ve been in contact with survivors of kinocide, including Yazidis, who have shared their experiences. The pain is universal. This has happened before, but it never had a name,” Dr. Elkayam-Levy said.

In collaboration with the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, the commission worked to identify these patterns of abuse and ensure that kinocide is recognized as a distinct crime. The new report, released after a year of research, includes interviews with survivors, visits to the sites where the atrocities took place, and an extensive review of evidence. The goal is to bring kinocide into international legal discourse, advocating for its urgent need to be recognized as a distinct crime.

‘I WILL BE HAUNTED FOREVER’: ISRAEL’S HORRIFIC VIDEO OF HAMAS ATROCITIES LEAVES VIEWERS SHOCKED AND SICKENED

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A woman breaks down at the memorial to Yulia Waxer Daunov as family members and friends of the lost and kidnapped gather at the site of the Nova Festival to mark the one-year anniversary of the attacks by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2024 in Re'im, Israel.

A woman breaks down at the memorial to Yulia Waxer Daunov as family members and friends of the lost and kidnapped gather at the site of the Nova Festival to mark the one-year anniversary of the attacks by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2024 in Re’im, Israel. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Professor Irwin Cotler, former Minister of Justice of Canada and International Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, stated, “Silence in the face of such evil is not neutrality; it is complicity. Worse still, there has been denial, justification, and even the glorification of these heinous acts, underscoring the moral and legal imperative to act decisively against such crimes. The dangers of antisemitism are not just the oldest and most lethal of hatreds- they are also a presage of global evil, as evidenced by the events of October 7.”

“We need an international coalition to address this systematic targeting of families,” Elkayam-Levy said. “But international law has failed the survivors of October 7. The current legal frameworks do not adequately protect families in these kinds of attacks.”

A sign that reads, 'Bring them home now'

An Israeli couple holding their national flag walk in front of graffiti calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel, in Jerusalem on Nov. 18, 2023. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)

The report, which has been endorsed by international law experts and human rights activists worldwide, highlights the urgent need for legal and social recognition of kinocide. However, despite the report’s widespread endorsement, Elkayam-Levy expressed her concern over the international community’s response. 

As someone who faced the denial of prominent figures in the international human rights community in response to her last report on sexual violence on Oct. 7, she said, “We live in dark times when international law is weaponized against us (Israelis) in terrifying ways. As an international human rights scholar, I never imagined that we would live in a time when such abuse is directed at us. It really scares me.”

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Meloni says EU must be pragmatic with Trump to avoid US trade tensions

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Meloni says EU must be pragmatic with Trump to avoid US trade tensions

As fears of a trade war rise, the Italian premier is seen as one of US president-elect Donald Trump’s closest EU allies.

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that the EU must take a pragmatic approach with the incoming Trump administration in order to head off a trade war between Europe and the US.

The EU has been bracing for trade problems ever since the recently re-elected Trump vowed to impose tariffs of 10% to 20% on imports from all foreign countries — apart from China, which will face a 60% tariff if his proposals become reality.

Italy’s right-wing leader Meloni appears to have forged a friendship with Trump in recent months, with the pair posing for photos and praising each other, which could make her one of his closest EU allies, especially given the political crises in Germany and France.

“It is essential to maintain a pragmatic, constructive and open approach towards the new Trump administration, using areas of potential and fruitful EU-US cooperation and trying to prevent commercial disputes that wouldn’t benefit anyone,” Meloni told Italy’s parliament in a speech ahead of the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Trump warned during his election campaign that the EU would “pay a big price” for supposedly not buying enough US exports, including American cars, considering that the 27-country bloc “sells millions and millions of cars in the United States”.

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During his previous term as president, Trump described Europe as a “foe” of the US.

Data from the US Census Bureau shows that the EU exported $576.3 billion (€549.2 billion) worth of goods to the US in 2023 — representing about 20% of the bloc’s total exports — for a goods trade surplus of $208.6 billion (€198.8 billion).

Last month, the EU’s ambassador to the US, Jovita Neliupšienė, said that the bloc was ready to respond to any renewed trade disputes with the US that could arise under Trump’s incoming administration. However, she did not specify any possible measures.

Regarding Trump’s tariff threats, Meloni has previously said that the EU should focus on setting its own affairs in order rather than worrying about the US.

“Don’t ask what the US can do for you, ask what Europe should do for itself,” Meloni said ahead of a EU leaders’ meeting in Budapest last month, paraphrasing Trump’s presidential predecessor John F. Kennedy.

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“Europe must find a balance,” she added. “I’m thinking of the issues of competitiveness, tariffs.”

Meloni and Trump dined together earlier this month at an event organised by French President Emmanuel Macron to mark the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Trump reportedly described Meloni as a “real live wire” and later said he was ready to work with her, calling her “a fantastic leader and person”. In a post on X last week, Meloni shared a video of Trump’s comments and wrote, “Thanks (to Trump) for the kind words”.

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