Energy of the future? What the hype about hydrogen is all about

Podcast

Electricity prices in Germany are higher than ever – and they should continue to rise next year. There are several reasons for this: Coal and gas are currently really expensive on the world market, which is due to rising CO2 prices and the tense situation between Russia and Ukraine. But the weather is also to blame, currently we have hardly any wind in Germany, which is why wind turbines are at a standstill and the sun is known to be a scarce commodity in December, which makes solar power sparse. In any case, we in Germany should obviously not rely too much on these types of so-called renewable energies, at least thinks physicist Karl-Friedrich Ziegahn. “Today Germany imports 70 or 80 percent of its energy from abroad – the same will be the case in the age of renewable energies. […] One dreams a little of the fact that we put the windmill in the garden and the PV system on the roof, and then we are self-sufficient. We will never be in Germany. ”

Is the hydrogen hype justified?

So the solution will also be called in the future: energy import. But how can that be achieved? Wind and solar energy is primarily available where it is generated. Transport, for example over extremely long lines, is difficult and involves many losses. That is why, according to Karl-Friedrich Ziegahn, we should primarily focus on storage in the form of energy conversion. A great hope: hydrogen. “I generate electricity on site using renewable energies, I use this climate-neutral electricity to generate hydrogen and then I can liquefy this hydrogen, compress it and transport it to Europe.” But here, too, there are challenges again. Hydrogen is also not easy to transport because the containers are under extreme pressure – and the substance itself is extremely flammable. In addition: “We have no infrastructure for hydrogen. That is one of the big obstacles that I still see there.”

Podcast “important today”

Sure, opinionated, on the 12: “Today important” is not just a news podcast. We set topics and initiate debates – with poise and sometimes uncomfortably. This is what host Michel Abdollahi and his team speak out for stern– and RTL reporters: inside with the most exciting people from politics, society and entertainment. They let all voices have their say, the quiet and the loud. Anyone who hears “important today” starts the day well informed and can have a sound say.

Dough ashes can lead to bowel inflammation

Who doesn’t know it: When the cookies are finally in the oven when baking cookies in the run-up to Christmas, hardly anyone feels like it anymore, because everyone has filled their stomachs with dough. And when things go bad, everyone sighs with stomach ache. The Federal Office for Consumer Protection is now warning that they are not just a short-lived hangover, but can be really dangerous. The reason: The wheat flour contained in the dough can contain E. coli bacteria, which can cause acute intestinal inflammation, often even kidney failure – especially in children. And unfortunately it’s not that rare. For a test, consumer protection examined 242 samples of wheat flour for E. coli bacteria – every eleventh sample was positive. Only the baking heat kills the bacteria and makes snacking safe. So a little tip, even if it is a little non-educational: Just have a few sweets ready when you bake cookies. Or a finished cookie dough batter right away.