29 Jan 2010

Nuclear Fusion breakthrough?

Some recent research may have helped the dream of unlimited and pollution-free energy from nuclear fusion become a big step closer. Scientists in the USA have demonstrated that containment of atoms for fusion using laser beams is far less problematic than first thought. Unlike current nuclear fission, nuclear fusion reactions create no radioactive waste materials. Potentially nuclear fusion reactors, if created on a commercial scale, could dramatically help supply clean energy the world so badly needs. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8485669.stm

2 comments:

Unknown said...

It's a pity that so many of the "green" enthusiasts are also anti-nuclear. So wherever they plan to build any of these power stations there will always be a fight. Meanwhile the blighting of our landscape with wind turbines that take almost as much energy to make as they produce goes on.

Roger G3XBM said...

There's a world of difference between a (future) fusion reactor and (current) fission reactor. The first will produce essentially zero harmless emissions and almost infinite amounts of low cost energy, whereas the current fission reactors leave radioactive waste for thousands of years. If we had a few more billions invested in nuclear fusion research the breakthroughs would come, and a LOT better value than Trident submarines and fighting the same tribal factions we've fought in Afghanistan for more than 100 years now.