Energy - Let's Get Going NOW!

As a teenager in the 1960's I remember the incredible goal and challenge that John F. Kennedy issued to America - to put a man on the moon in ten years.

Well, we have a new challenge and a critical test of our ability to survive as a nation, so let's change it into an opportunity to demonstrate what we are really made of. If we don't solve the oil/energy problem we are toast.

There is an answer sitting just a bit out of our reach. It's nuclear fusion. And, it's been carefully pushed into the background over the last eight years by the current Washington regime. Wonder why? I'll get to that in a bit. But first, a bit of science.

In a fusion reaction, two light atomic nuclei fuse together to form heavier ones. The fusion process releases a large amount of energy, which is the energy source of the sun and the stars.

Fusion has some key features which make it an attractive option in a future energy mix: the fusion process is inherently safe; waste which will not be a burden for future generations; no emission of greenhouse gases; and the capacity for large scale energy production.

Sounds great so far, right?

First of all, fusion is an almost limitless fuel supply. The basic fuels are distributed widely around the globe. Deuterium is abundant and can be extracted easily from sea water. Lithium, from which tritium can be produced, is a readily available light metal in the Earth´s crust.

No transport of radioactive materials is required in the day-to-day operation of a fusion power station, as the intermediate fuel tritium is produced and consumed within the power plant.

The fusion reaction is inherently safe. Only about two grams of fuel is present in the plasma vessel, enough for a few seconds of "burn". As fusion is not a chain reaction, the reaction can never run out of hand.

Fusion produces no greenhouse gas emissions. Fusion power plants will not generate gases such as carbon dioxide that cause global warming and climate change, nor other gases that have damaging effects on the environment.

Fusion is suitable for the large-scale electricity production required for our increasing energy needs. A single fusion power station could generate electricity for two million households.

Waste from fusion will not be a long-term burden on future generations. Only metal parts close to the fusion plasma will become radioactive. Any radioactive waste generated will be small in volume and the radioactivity will decay over several decades with the possibility of reuse after about 100 years.

So, you might ask what the Dept. of Energy (DOE) has been doing for the last eight years? Answer - building better nuclear bombs and the infamous bunker-busters.

In fact, as recently as May 27, 2008, DOE Under Secretary Ray Orbach axed the Princeton fusion experiment closing the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) construction project. Remember, just a few months ago, oil was an affordable $90/barrel! Mr. Orbach said, "the decision evaluated the project's value against the taxpayer interests".

You should know that the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) operated at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) from 1982 to 1997. TFTR set a number of world records, including in 1994 TFTR produced a world-record 10.7 million watts of controlled fusion power, enough to meet the needs of more than 3,000 homes.

Let's summarize a bit. In 1997 we have working experimental fusion reactors (Princeton is only one of several.) In 2008 we have none and oil is over $120/barrel. Does anyone remember the still secret Vice President Cheney National Energy Plan?

There is a bit of good news.

A joint international research and development project, ITER aims to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion power. The partners in the project are; the European Union, Japan, the People´s Republic of China, India, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the USA. ITER will be constructed in Europe, at Cadarache in the South of France.

In June 2005, it was decided by the Parties to construct ITER in Cadarache, in the South of France. On 21 November 2006, a Joint Implementation Agreement was signed by the Parties, which established the international ITER Organization.

Just like any international consortium, ITER is moving a glacial speed and is full of distractions.

On July 07, 2008 Dr. Nebel, working on the experimental Bussard IEC fusion reactor said that a 1.5 meter [diameter] power fusion reactor generating 100MW of power could be built for as little as $20 million. (Note, Dr. Nebel is under a publishing embargo and cannot discuss the data.)

Hopefully this will be confirmed in August or September of this year with results published and next stages funded.

FYI, the typical U.S. nuclear power plant produces between about 500 and 1300 MW and is substantially larger than 4 cubic feet! Theoretically, this leads us to think that it is possible to power a city the size of Las Vegas with a couple of well placed, tractor-trailer sized fusion power generators.

Now, back to us and the constant blame coming from Washington.

I'm so tired of hearing the political blaming blather from both the Democrats and Republicans, neither of which want to accept that they have done essentially nothing for years other than waste trillions of dollars in everything from insane stupid wars on this and that, pushing corporate welfare programs, and routing financial pork to their constituents, pandering for more votes.

Mr, McCain and Mr. Obama - here's my challenge to you.

Stand together and commit one hundred percent of America's creative and engineering genius to implementing and deploying nuclear fusion electric generation in ten years.

Yes, I said ten years.

If both of you will simply state this publicly, oil will immediately drop to $50/barrel. And, if you back your statements with real, serious, abundant funding at all levels we will achieve energy independence in only ten years.

Time for both of you to stop pandering to every minority group and get on to something really big and important.

Enough said.

The Best Money Guy