An assortment of governmental, technological, environmental, and economic factors has combined to spur renewed interest in alternatives to petroleum, and especially in hydrogen. While there is no clear consensus on the viability of the technology, governments and corporations alike have vigorous hydrogen research programs. The result is that hydrogen may stand on the verge of becoming a true successor to oil. A transition from oil to hydrogen would alter familiar global economic and political structures in profound ways. The ramifications will influence developed and developing nations, oil importers, and exporters alike. New alliances among governments, corporations, and other groups may challenge existing notions of governance. Although a hydrogen-based economy may be decades away, the vision for it requires near- and mid-term thinking to manage the transition smoothly. Further, hydrogen is only a metaphor; any change from the current oil economy will entail dramatic changes to the global status quo that must be planned for now. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.