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Not really that small. Nickle is abundant and cheap, the Canadian shield is loaded with the stuff. One of the biggest problems with the Ballard hydrogen fuel cell generators is cost. A reduction of 75% of the cost makes this an efficient home heating and electricity supply. Imagine if every home generated it's own heat and electricity, the only plumbing needed being a waterline and sewer pipe. It would reduce the growing demand both for electrical powerline corridors, natural gas lines and powerplants, nuclear or otherwise.
Replacing existing home funaces with a ballard generator would be simple. It could revolutionize the whole energy industry, greatly reducing oil dependancy.
It's not far from reach if the cost of one of these things can be brought way down.

"Canadian shield is loaded with the stuff."

Thanks for the backhanded compliment.

I hope stainless steel kitchen counters stay in vogue because "nano nickel" could kill the nickel industry. As if "nano platinum" wasn't bad enough!!!

Base metal prices are just recovering from a fifteen year slump and every high tech news release is being ingeniously designed to ensure that no new mines will ever be opened at a time of historical supply shortages.

No wonder mining companies are tearing their hair out!!!!

You can't even open a base metal mine unless you can profitably pull 100,000 tons out of the ground a month and process it profitably and that's a small operation.

If it weren't for the Chinese the world's mining industry would shut down for another 20 years.

Take a look at your garage and your kitchen and ask yourself where all that metal comes from. Then ask whose buying it. The answer to that question will give you nightmares.

Imagine if every home generated it's own heat and electricity, the only plumbing needed being a waterline and sewer pipe. It would reduce the growing demand both for electrical powerline corridors, natural gas lines and powerplants, nuclear or otherwise.

What source fuel are you envisioning will be used in the home fuel cell? I can picture a water, sewer, and gas pipe to a house but I can't see how you get around needing that gas pipe. Unless you propose large on-site storage tanks for each home?