In a previous blog post - It's fracking stupid! - I expressed my opposition to the creation of additional gas supplies by fracking. I don't want to go over old ground so in this post I will focus on a solution rather than a problem. The problem is the depletion of the world's energy resources as well as the carbon that is created whilst the energy is consumed. In my opinion there should be three components to the world's energy strategy, each of which is carbon-free, as follows:
🌅 Nuclear fission - short to medium term.
🌅 Solar, wind, tidal, etc - short to long term.
🌅 Nuclear fusion - medium to long term.
Let me explain the rationale behind my proposed strategy. Steps have to be taken to reduce carbon emissions, as a matter of urgency. A move away from coal, gas and oil is, therefore, essential. There's little point developing electric cars if the batteries are charged using electricity generated from power stations burning fossil fuels! Conventional nuclear power stations, which do not emit harmful carbon dioxide but do create dangerous radioactive waste, provide a short to medium term energy source. Continuing development of energy from renewable sources, based on solar, wind, tidal, etc, will increasingly become a prime generator in the short to long term. However, all the predictions suggest fission and natural renewable sources will not be sufficient to meet the increasing demand, particularly from the developing world. That's why nuclear fusion is so important.
The international nuclear fusion project known as Iter, meaning 'the way' in Latin, is a research project on a site in the Caderache forest of Provence in the south of France. 34 nations, representing more that half of the world's population, are engaged in the biggest scientific collaborative project on the planet. The aim of the project is to create an unlimited supply of clean, cheap energy. Unlike conventional nuclear fusion reactors, nuclear fission reactors do not produce radioactive waste and the fusion process cannot easily be used for military purposes. Whereas nuclear fission does not occur in nature, nuclear fusion is the process that powers the sun. A lot of progress has been made but there is still a long way to go. The current forecast is that the first demonstrator of a nuclear reactor to produce electricity for the grid will be during the 2030s. The first commercial nuclear power plants are expected from the 2050s onwards. Yes it's a long journey but it's worth the effort.
Could Iter achieve its aims sooner with more funding and effort? Probably it could but in my opinion, the real impediments to progress are the vested interests of the giant multinational oil companies and politicians. Both these groups are driven by very short-term interests. The oil companies want profit NOW. The politicians want re-election SOON. So companies' and most governments' aspirations are incompatible with a long-term survival strategy for the planet. But I don't want this post to become problem-orientated. Let's be positive! Work is underway on each component of my proposed fission/natural renewable/fusion strategy and it's up to activists around the world to make sure this strategy is delivered. This means opposition to the development and perpetuation of fossil fuel energy sources, including fracking, whilst encouraging carbon-free programmes. We have a duty, not just to the present incumbents of our planet but also to future generations, to ensure life is unhindered by the exploits of our own species. Fine words, but when I look around I see a big gap between that statement and reality. But we live in hope! 😊
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