Harry Braun

Harry William Braun III (born November 6, 1948) is an American renewable energy consultant, researcher, and political candidate. He was a congressional nominee in 1984 and 1986, and has been a presidential candidate in 2004, 2012, 2016, and 2020. He has published papers on the hydrogen economy, solar power, and photobiology.

Harry Braun
Braun in 2012
Personal details
Born
Harry William Braun III

(1948-11-06) November 6, 1948
Compton, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Independent (2004)
Spouse(s)Dorothy L. Braun
ResidenceCanton, Georgia, U.S.
Alma materArizona State University (BS)

Life and work

Braun was born November 6, 1948 in Compton, California. A graduate of Arizona State University, Braun lived in Arizona for 42 years. He and his wife Dorothy now reside in Canton, Georgia. Since 1998, Braun has been the principal of Mesa Wind LLC, which developed wind energy (and solar energy) projects.[lower-alpha 1]

Braun received a bachelor's degree in history and general science from Arizona State University in 1971.[lower-alpha 2] Since then, he has done independent research in the fields of energy technologies and resources, photobiology, molecular biology, and protein evolution.[lower-alpha 1] Braun is an Advisory Board Member of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy.[1]

Braun is the founder and senior scientist of the Phoenix Project Foundation (PPF), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which advocates for a hydrogen-based energy economy rather than the current fossil-fuel-based economy. The foundation promotes ideas outlined in Braun's book, Phoenix Project, initially published in 1990 and revised in 2000.[lower-alpha 2]

Braun's published papers and books include material on solar power,[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] the hydrogen economy,[lower-alpha 6] and photobiology;[lower-alpha 7] he has also published several versions of his book about using renewable energy to generate hydrogen, entitled The Phoenix Project.[lower-alpha 8]

Political campaigns

Braun has not been elected to office, but was the nominee of the Democratic party for two congressional races in the 1980s.

Congressional campaigns

In 1984, Braun was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 1st congressional district of Arizona, losing to incumbent Republican congressman John McCain.[11][12][13] According to The Arizona Republic, "A key element of Braun's energy platform is what he calls the 'Phoenix Project,' a plan to mass produce hydrogen with electrolysis by using solar power to produce the electricity."[14] Major political problems of the 1980s that the plan could conceivably address included nuclear weapons, pollution, energy scarcity, and deficit spending.[15] Braun received 22% of the vote.[16]

In 1986, Braun ran again, and was again the Democratic nominee for Arizona's 1st congressional district, losing to Republican nominee Jay Rhodes.[17] Energy policy in general, and solar power plus the hydrogen economy in particular, was again a key platform-plank of Braun's campaign.[18][19][20][21] Braun also campaigned on a broader set of issues during October 1986, including irrigation and water-use policy.[22][23][24][25][26] Braun improved on his 1984 performance, and received 29% of the vote.[17]

2004

In 2004, Braun ran an independent campaign for President, with the campaign-slogan of "Making America Energy Independent & Pollution Free with Windship Hydrogen Production Systems."[27] Braun's energy policy was distinct from the hydrogen economy proposed by George W. Bush, in that Braun wanted to generate hydrogen from seawater via electrolysis (using renewable energy), as opposed to generating hydrogen from coal and nuclear power plants.[27] Braun participated in a Presidential Candidates Forum in 2004 in New Hampshire that was covered by C-Span.[28]

2012

Braun did not run in 2008, but did run again in 2012, against incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama.[29][30] Braun's 2012 campaign included stops in Iowa.[31]

2016

Braun ran for the Democratic nomination again in 2016.[32]

2020

Braun announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination again in 2020.[33]

Proposed constitutional amendment

Braun has proposed an amendment to the United States Constitution which he calls the Democracy Amendment. It reads "We the People, hereby empower the majority of American citizens to approve all laws, federal legislation, presidential executive orders, and judicial decisions that impact the majority of citizens." His plan is for the amendment to be ratified directly by voters through constitutional conventions.[34] He has made this amendment a focus of past presidential campaigns.[29][35]

Notes
  1. "Harry Braun, Chairman and Senior Scientist". Phoenix Project Foundation. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  2. "Biography of Harry Braun, Sustainable Partners International". International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  3. 1992, Solar Stirling Gensets for Large-Scale Hydrogen Production.[2]
  4. 1997, Stirling Energy Systems (SES): dish-Stirling program.[3] (See also: Stirling Energy Systems.)
  5. 1999, Status of the Boeing Dish Engine Critical Component project, 1999.[4]
  6. 2003, Calculating hydrogen production costs.[5]
  7. 2008, Photobiology: The biological impact of sunlight on health & infection control. (See also, 1982.[6])
  8. 2008, The Phoenix Project: Shifting to a Solar Hydrogen Economy by 2020.[7] (Revised version; earlier versions published in 1990), 2000,[8][9] and 2003.[10])

References
  1. "Advisory Board of Directors". International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  2. Solar Stirling Gensets for Large-Scale Hydrogen Production. ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), Solar Energy Technology, Vol 13, pp. 21-31, ASME 1992.
  3. Stirling Energy Systems (SES): dish-Stirling program. K.W.Stone, H.W.Braun, M.I.Moore, T.B.Clark; IEEE and McDonnell Douglas Electronic Systems Company, in: IECEC-97, Proceedings of the 32nd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 27 Jul 1997 to 01 Aug 1997, Honolulu, HI. volume 2, pages 1039-1044, ISBN 0-7803-4515-0, DOI:10.1109/IECEC.1997.661912.
  4. Brau, H.W. (1999-01-08). "Status of the Boeing Dish Engine Critical Component Project". OSTI 3273. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. http://evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=502
  6. Quality of light held important to your health, by Kitty Maclnnis, Phoenix Gazette, November 17, 1982.
  7. The Phoenix Project: Shifting to a Solar Hydrogen Economy by 2020. Chemical Engineering & Chemical Industry Quarterly, vol. 14, No. 2, 2008, pp-107-118.
  8. Braun, Harry (2000). The Phoenix Project. ISBN 9780970250209.
  9. Sastri, M. (2002). "The Phoenix Project: Shifting from Oil to Hydrogen, 2nd Edition Harry Braun; SPI Publications, Phoenix, AZ, USA, 2000, xv+365 pp". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 27 (4): 465. doi:10.1016/S0360-3199(01)00129-X.
  10. Talk of the Nation interview with guests Harry Braun and Vijay Vaitheeswaran (November 21, 2003). "New Energy Policy". NPR.
  11. "McCain, Braun vie for House seat", by Susan Turley, Tempe Daily News, October 14, 1984, page 1 and A4.
  12. "McCain vs, Braun", by Susan Turley, Tempe Daily News, October 23, 1984, page A3.
  13. "Braun outlines plan for energy mecca", by [unknown], Tempe Daily News, page 3, September 19, 1984
  14. "Candidate seeks to halt 'suicide' energy policy: Urges moratorium on atomic weapons to foster research", by Joel Nilsson, The Arizona Republic, September 19, 1984
  15. "The World According to Braun", by Doug MacEachern, The New Times, page 3, September 26, 1984.
  16. Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 1984. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1985.
  17. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1986" (PDF). Government Printing Office. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  18. "Candidate serious on energy issues", by Max Jennings (Executive Editor), The Mesa Tribune, page A7, May 7, 1986.
  19. "1st District candidate says solar energy only answer", by Adrianne/Adrian Flynn, Tempe Daily News, June 3, 1986.
  20. "District 1 Democrat finds hope in hydrogen", Adrian/Adrianne Flynn, The Mesa Tribune, Vol. 38, No. 202, page 1, August 19, 1986
  21. "Sunshine Man: Braun hopes solar solution stirs District 1 voters", by Don Harris, The Arizona Republic, August 22, 1986, page B1 (Valley & State).
  22. "Braun broadens appeal, shows promise in District 1 race", by Adrianne/Adrian Flynn, The Mesa Tribune, October 6, 1986.
  23. "Braun says energy is not his only issue in House campaign", by [unknown], The Arizona Republic (Special Edition), October 10, 1986.
  24. "1st District contest heats up after debate", by Adrianne/Adrian Flynn, The Mesa Tribune, October 20, 1986.
  25. "Braun levels attack on Rhodes over CAP", by [unknown], The Arizona Republic, October 24, 1986. page B1 (Valley & State).
  26. "Braun blasts CAP as welfare for rich", Stephen Higgins, Scottsdale Progress, October 23, 1986.
  27. Achenbach, Joel (13 January 2014). "A Show of Hands". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 August 2015. ...turned out to be a ballot with easy-on, easy-off access. Essentially anyone could join the fun. Among those running is Harry Braun (no relation to [Carol Moseby Braun] the former senator), the only candidate whose slogan is "Making America Energy Independent & Pollution-Free with Windship Hydrogen Production Systems." "I'm talking about making the hydrogen from water," Braun said in a phone interview Sunday. "President Bush wants to make it from coal and nuclear power. That's not clean hydrogen, that's filthy hydrogen, and that's nonrenewable hydrogen." The Braun plan is to build "windships," which he describes as 500 to 1,000 feet tall, with the "hull" anchored under the sea just off the coast. A large mast would hold wind turbines. A crew, below water, would run the machinery to convert ocean water to liquid hydrogen. Each windship would cost $10 million. How many of these enormous windships would Braun need? "About a million," he said. The project would cost $6 trillion total, in his estimation. ...
  28. hosted by The New Hampshire Political Library (January 8, 2004). "Lesser-Known Presidential Candidates' Forum". C-SPAN. Fifteen presidential and two vice presidential candidates spoke...
  29. Clayworth, Jason (19 Aug 2011). "Candidate highlights Trig Palin's Down syndrome at soapbox". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  30. Cohan, William D. (11 October 2011). "A movement or a street fair?". philly.com. Retrieved 26 August 2015. ...New York Times columnist, made an unlikely comparison of Zuccotti Park to Egypt's Tahrir Square, bestowing on Occupy Wall Street a degree of gravitas it doesn't yet have. Kristof was in Tahrir Square during the protests and is a first-rate reporter, but it's difficult to believe the laconic, idiosyncratic scene on display in Manhattan bears the slightest resemblance to what occurred in Cairo. There, people were fighting for their freedom. Zuccotti Park seemed more like a low-energy street fair in desperate need of funnel cake and grilled sausages than the world-changing movement Kristof imagines it to be. 91 percent. At a corner of the park were some large artworks from the Beehive Design Collective, a rural Maine artist colony. Just inside the park, one could catch the dulcet tones of Harry Braun. The white-haired chairman and senior scientist for the Phoenix Project Foundation, which is dedicated to making sure people understand the consequences of unchecked growth, is running for president of the United States. In a real democracy, Braun said, "instead of raising the national debt limit, the U.S. Congress would be instructed by the majority of citizens to cancel the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and any further secret banker bailouts," and return tax rates on the wealthiest Americans to 91 percent, as they were during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. Good luck with the campaign, Harry! Near Braun, a young, bearded fellow was...
  31. Trevick, Brittany (25 July 2011). "Obama challenger Harry Braun in Iowa City this week". Daily Iowan. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  32. "Committee/Candidate Details". fec.gov.
  33. "Committee/Candidate Details". fec.gov.
  34. "Home page". Democracy Amendment USA. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  35. Editorial, "Candidate's call for more direct democracy should be heeded," The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, Thursday, July 28, 2011:
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