I am most grateful for a comment by "APL" on the heroic "Burning Our Money" blog, which directs us to an article on the potential of radiation-free fusion energy.
There is an international project (ITER) in the south of France to develop this, and if it works...
UPDATE
Thanks to GMG for a link to this discussion of fusion power, which tends to the conclusion that a successful and economically viable fusion system is a very long way off, if feasible at all, and we'd do better to concentrate on fission, i.e. the present type of nuclear power station.
5 comments:
A successful fusion process is always only a few decades away.
Dear Bearwatch,
Go to to theoildrum.com and in the search feature, type in fusion. There is a presentation on the subject that appears to be very well-done. I've only scanned it, but the author talks about a 40 year ramp up phase for ITER. Also, key elements or isotopes are already scarce. I don't mean to be a downer.
GMG
Thank you both. I guess it's the old saw: pray as if it all depends on the Lord, work as if it all depends on you. There's a heck of a lot we can do just reducing waste - inefficient and unnecessary travel, overheated dwellings and offices etc.
GMG: will look at your link, and thanks again. Perhaps a buying opportunity in those particular elements/isotopes?
I'm a little hopeful about photovoltaics. Alas, this is probably because I know much less about that topic than wave-power, wind-power, bio-ethanol, etc.
I'd be interested to see some comparison of different forms of energy production, with total costings for each (i.e. from mining the ore to manufacturing the device to decommissioning and disposal). MP Bob Marshall-Andrews says he is opposed to nuclear power on those grounds.
There are also solar thermal systems e.g.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6616651.stm
and a system using sun-heated air:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4224528.html
Given the existence of water under the Sahara/Eastern Mediterranean seaboard countries, the abundance of hot sunshine and the closeness to European markets, it seems to me that with political will and business vision, the Arab Street could potentially be the long-term industrial manufacturing hub of the West. And their oil could give them the capital to develop that long-term economic base.
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