Submission Statement: “Hydrogen (H₂) is expected to play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, hydrogen losses to the atmosphere impact atmospheric chemistry, including positive feedback on methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas.”

With more and more governments subsidizing hydrogen production, we need to really be certain it won't cause more problems than it will solve.

The following submission statement was provided by /u/stesch:

Submission Statement: “Hydrogen (H₂) is expected to play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, hydrogen losses to the atmosphere impact atmospheric chemistry, including positive feedback on methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas.”

With more and more governments subsidizing hydrogen production, we need to really be certain it won't cause more problems than it will solve.

Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/121qawy/risk_of_the_hydrogen_economy_for_atmospheric/jdmupji/

The most important part to remember about Hydrogen: It's currently made out of natural gas and not water. The ones pushing for Hydrogen right now are fossil fuel companies, because they are producing it.

And for those who haven't read the study: Additionally to the current Methane problem, there is the problem of Hydrogen emissions causing more Methane in the atmosphere. Even for green Hydrogen.

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Yeah it is pretty interesting hydrogen depletes the same hydroxyl pathway that naturally eliminates CH4 and reduces its 100 year GWP vs the 20 year. Conversely, I wonder if (after we've successfully moved emissions on to a sharp enough downward trend of course) enhancing the same pathway might be a especially effective method for fast short term remediation. I see there is some research on this but I guess it's still early days.