You need energy first. Our economy is based on energy produced from burning oil and gas. Cheap and plentiful we used it to build 21st century America. As competition heats up we need to look to new sources. Whoever does nuclear right first wins!

The future depends on cheap concentrated power. Conservation and renewable sources are doomed to fail as they will not provide enough power in a concentrated form. In 2004 the world consumed 500 quintillion Joules of energy. That's half a zetta-Joule. If things go right, by 2050 we'll want 10 times as much. Where is going to come from and will we be able to produce and consume that much energy without harming the environment. Oddly enough it's environmental science  that provides the most hope that this will be true.

At least one national economy will take up the challenge and find ways to build inexpensive nuclear plants, master reprocessing technology, develop a breeder reactor and deal with waste products. With nuclear power as the source, hydrogen becomes an efficient distribution mechanism. Hydrogen eliminates many of the environmental concerns of today's hydrocarbon fuel sources.

Several fears have to be overcome to achieve this reality. Fear of nuclear weapons proliferation is the greatest. Environmental concerns over hazardous materials handling are the second greatest fear. Securing the plants against terrorist attacks is third. Operational problems in management and engineering are also a concern. Dealing with fears, also known as taking risks, in a responsible fashion has been the hallmark of American business and has led to great rewards.

Whoever succeeds with this technology  will have access to 10-100 times America's current energy capacities per capita and their economy will boom. Why not America? This is truly a strategy that will afford us more and better opportunities in the future.

The Real Hydrogen Economy