World's First Nuclear Fusion Plant
SWEET! Looks like someone's actually moving forward toward alternative fuel sources.
Whether it works or not remains to be seen, but who knows what could be discovered along the way. Perhaps this will goose the US into doing some research as well? Can't have other countries making more money than us now...
Science's quest to find a cheap and inexhaustible way to meet global energy needs took a major step forward on Tuesday when a 30-nation consortium chose France to host the world's first nuclear fusion reactor...
The project will seek to turn seawater into fuel by mimicking the way the sun produces energy. It would be cleaner than current nuclear reactors, would not rely on enriched uranium fuel or produce plutonium.
Whether it works or not remains to be seen, but who knows what could be discovered along the way. Perhaps this will goose the US into doing some research as well? Can't have other countries making more money than us now...
by MG at 2:11 PM
23 Comments:
Of course, it's to be in France. No doubt the doublespeakers of the W, Rove and Co. won't be happy about that.
Yes, of course. DOWN WITH FRANCE! Those bastards!
:please note rolling of eyes:
Oh that reminds me, I have a huge announcement. I've just been chosen to receive the first flying pig! Now granted there are no flying pigs now, and no one knows how to make one, but after years of deliberation I've been chosen to get the first one. I'm so psyched!!!
My sarcasm BTW is directed at the pomp and circumstance over choosing the site (which took 20 years, gives me a lot of confidence in the project as a whole.)
Even better is the fact that Greenpeace is against it. Makes sense, since it might put them out of business.
Oh, and Moxie
"Perhaps this will goose the US into doing some research as well? "
Reread the article, the US is part of this oraganization, even kicking in 10%.
"even kicking in 10%"
If we're the superior god-appointed ruling country of the world, as many republicans seem to believe, isn't 10 percent... ah... a tad lacking? I mean... if we're the appointed liberators and policemen of the world and everybody's well being is our job... wouldn't you expect just a little more?
Oh, right, we went on a spending spree in Iraq where even Rumsfeld doubts our richous and holy liberation will be well recieved. Oh snap.
Well, I gotta go... There's a new 10 ton 6 door hummer just waiting to be bought.
Processing petroleum is 80% efficient. With current technology, this beats almost any other form of vastly available fuel. So we use it all up. Necessity is the mother of invention. When petroleum runs out, we'll find another way.
Companies are researching and developing alternative fuel vehicles and alternative fuels for other causes. Solar for housing is an excellent example of a technology that is now a very viable option, if you can front the initial costs. Hydrogen cars are around, but hydrogen is less efficient to process than petroleum, so in the long run the environment is more damaged. Electric cars have come a long way, but electricity isn't free of serious environmental impacts.
What I am saying is that alternative methods are being researched and developed, but until it becomes economically (and environmentally) viable we will rely on oil for now.
BTW, I am a tree hugger at heart.
"Reread the article, the US is part of this oraganization, even kicking in 10%."
Yes, I must say, now that I realize it is a WHOLE 10%, I should be ashamed of myself. What would make me think that a country like ours could ever be a leader in innovation again. Silly me.
Sounds good but I wouldn't count on the NeoCons jumping aboard. If it isn't dirty, lowdown and nasty, they don't want any part of it.
Moxie and Cat,
I don't even get the 10% critique. I assume you would want us to contribute more without getting an equally large return? It's not like these coutries need the aid. What's your point?
We'll see what happens. If this project is fruitful then I say great. But let's remember that the EU just recently had a huge political setback and are prone for more as time goes forward.
Believe me, I would rather it succeed but the skeptic in me thinks judgement should be reserved.
At least SOMETHING is being researched.
"It's not like these coutries need the aid"
Yeah.. you're right. So what if we have an undeniable addiction to fuel. who cares that america has been in an energy crisis for years.
since we're all powerful...
we'll just let other countries fix our problems for us. they make it, we'll take it. Problem solved.
(wipes up exces sarcasm that has driped to the floor)
What's the problem with making money? I'm not sure if you mean making money is bad or it's only bad if Americans are doing the making.
I don't think the French thing is related to Politics.
Did You know that Philadelphia turned down the Eiffel Tower and France bought it.
(What was it meant to do? this was before radio.....lol)
France is a good choice because The European Union is the second biggest energy comsumer.
We been trying for years with this heavy water fussion. The law of Thermodynamics is a bitch.
It involves being able to contain matter and heat that is exceeds temperatures grater than our own Sun.
I think that their 50:50 of success is long stretch. (Hey.. but its a lot of nations money right)
We have enough natural gas to last at least 200 years. We are laying pipes as I write.
Turbo-gas Power plants. Hybred cars, (thanks to Toyota, Torrance Ca. usa) will help us along.
Toyota will be releasing a new Camery and a new hybred Rav4 in the next 2 years.
France is related to politics for the very reason that some jackass who lives across the street from my mother still sports a "Boycott France" bumpersticker on his pick up. It's retarded, yet people still wave that around.
"France is a good choice because The European Union is the second biggest energy comsumer."
Out of curiosity, who is the BIGGEST energy consumer? Rhetorical question really, but feel free.
We are of course.
Here's a link to the BEST World facts.
What's cool is you can look at a County Profile and click "oil" or "HIV" and it dumps a top 40 chart by Country.
(By the Way some of Africa is 20% HIV)
Being a data geek I am really impressed.
This is the Best Work of the CIA.
DUH forgot the Link.....
World Facts Link
http://odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html
PS.
I was given an award by Edison Electric when I lived in So. Cal
Residents was asked to conserve, I decrease usage by 80%
My Electric Bill in 2002 was $14.50 for the month of April.
Ironically, I did not pay my $14.50 bill that month and they shut me off.
I had to fight a $150 reconnect charge.
Here's a clue...global warming is very real, so was Three Mile Island and Kiev, if this works the way its supposed to it will be safer, clean and more efficient than any other fuel source the world has known and no one will need petrol except for lube and making plastic, not to mention that the nation that perfects this technology will create an entirely new ecnonomy for the world. It does not matter who hosts the experiment as long as it happens, it is bigger than any one nation, if our leaders where smarter they would be pumping way more into such projects as these are the future sources of energy for the world and no doubt have the potential to be exceptionally lucrative, but at the cost of the oil rich and as the change occurs they are going to exponentially squeeze every barrel for every last dime until the earth runs dry or they are out moded by new technology.
On a seperate and self indulgent note, to those of good will hoping to change the world for the better, I am compelled to plug
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org
and
http://www.live8live.com
You do not have to send any money they are actually only asking for e-signatures on petitions.
White House budget slashes clean energy :an old article (from February) but accurate as to the concerns of the present administration.
Article on the FY06 Budget : regarding renewable energy.
Dear Moxie and pals,
No one likes technology better than I do, but people should be aware that even though fusion power would definitely solve the problem of fuel, in terms of safety and security it will mean the same thing as building breeder reactors.
Fusion itself is an entirely different process than fission, using different (much safer and more cheaply available) fuel, and there is zero danger of a meltdown or other out of control event like that at Chernobyl or TMI. _However_ the fusion processes that have a realistic chance of being employed put their power out mainly in the form of energetic neutrons, and there is only one way to capture most of their power and use it: use the neutron flux to transmute cheaper, lower-grade _fission_ metals like thorium into plutonium, and then fission the plutonium in fission plants. With all risks and liabilities connected to it--risk of catastrophe, "minor" radioactive release, hazards of waste disposal, etc.
And I think the most important danger of fission technology is that human malice is capable of _deliberately_ wreaking havoc with radioactive materials. When we commit to using fission we create an inventory of dangerous materials which the avaricious might sell, or the the fanatical steal, to make bombs of various kinds. Or terrorists could set the goal of blowing up plants or delivery convoys just to release the materials. Fission plant wastes will remain a threat for thousands of years.
And sadly, fusion will not take us away from all this. In the far future it might, but we are far behind the Star Trek standard right now. Today, fusion means feeding fission plants and the only advantage we get is that at least the dangerous fission plants won't have to shut down for lack of fuel after 50 years or so, as would be the case if we had to rely on mining uranium.
Oh dude, this is complete rubbish. They are not going to breed plutonium with a fusion reactor to use fission all over again, it somehow defeats the purpose, dontcha think? Breeding plutonium is another can of worms entirely.
The method they do use is that the neutrons heat up the shielding, which heats up water which drives a turbine which generates electricity.
The shielding gets radioactive over time due to nuclear neutron capture, but nothing of the sort of the long living heavy isotopes created in fission.
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