Midwest Hydrogen Hub: What are the pros and cons?
Lisa Vallee, with the environmental justice organization Just Transition Northwest Indiana, speaks at a recent rally in Whiting, Ind. She and others oppose using fossil fuels to produce hydrogen as part of the Midwest Hydrogen Hub, which will span Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan. Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco/WBEZ
2024 is expected to be the hottest year ever recorded on Earth, according to report released by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. A major contributor to these warming temperatures and climate change is fossil fuels and the midwest has recently been awarded the first portion of a billion dollars from the U.S. Department of Energy to help end reliance on them.
It’s through a so-called “hydrogen production hub", but not everyone is convinced that hydrogen is really cleaner. A journalist covering this story in partnership with the climate-focused news site Grist joins the 21st to explain more about the proposed hydrogen hub.
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Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco
Reporter covering environment, WBEZ