Energy is in the News, but Fusion is not

In: Energy: Meeting soaring demand, “the BBC’s Alex Kirby looks at the challenge of providing the world with energy without damaging the environment, as part of Planet Under Pressure, a BBC series on environmental issues.”  As usual with this type of analysis, Fusion is dismissed.  In response, I logged on to the BBC and sent a comment to the editor.

Here’s the text of the email.  This is the message that needs to get on the global agenda:

Alex Kirby’s article, like most articles on the energy crisis, dismisses fusion when it reports that fusion could be ready by 2040 - too long to wait.  The only reason that this is so is that in a form of mono-mania, the world pours its fusion funding into the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)  project, a single, multi-billion dollar, 35 year long experiment to design a gymnasium sized reactor that won’t make energy any cheaper, even if it works.  This can be compared to building a single hospital to find a cure for cancer.  This is the most inefficient approach to solving the biggest problem facing humanity.

There are, however, dozens of other promising fusion approaches which are rarely discussed and suffer from a lack of funding (No, not cold fusion!).  See http://www.plasmas.org/ and http://focusfusion.org

It seems the world is prepared to debate carbon taxes and other harsh economic measures to control global warming, and to spend hundreds of billions to pacify the Middle East and control oil.  But for some reason,  the global conversation doesn’t include a loud clamoring for the systematic exploration of fusion alternatives. 

Something as simple as a technology prize for fusion could be a great boost for its development.

Fusion needs advocates.  Fusion is closer than most people think.  Fusion alternatives deserve greater media consideration.

Fusion:  Why are we waiting?

To this we might add:  “Are there no politicians of great vision who want to take up the fusion challenge?”  Or something along those lines.  I’m thinking of JFK and putting a man on the moon.