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| Nuclear Fusion Leads to Green Energy Solution |
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| Written by Malcolm Smith |
| Monday, 15 February 2010 16:22 |
 Read on to learn:
What Scientists DiscoveredAbout 2 weeks ago, researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) had a nuclear fusion breakthrough. They fired a beam of laser energy at a tiny target which had hydrogen fuel isotopes inside. And what occurred was an incredible burst of energy that brings us another step closer to harnessing nuclear fusion as a green energy solution.How the experiment workedScientists aimed 192 lasers at a tiny cylinder (picture a pencil eraser), which contained 2 hydrogen isotopes inside. The goal is to harness the lasers’ energy to create x-rays inside the cylinder. These x-rays compress the isotope target to put them under so much pressure and heat them enough (more than 200 million degrees F) so a fusion reaction takes place. For most, 200 million degrees is an unimaginable measurement. How could these incredibly hot energy bursts exist, let alone lead to a green energy solution?
What This Could MeanNow that you understand how this discovery happened, let’s figure out how this could solve the Earth’s problem of finding an alternative to our diminishing fossil fuel supplies. The record-breaking blast these scientists produced lasted only a few billionths of a second. But this extremely quick energy shot produced 500 times more power than the whole U.S. population uses at any point in time. It is also 30 times more energy than any group of lasers has ever produced before. Before, nuclear fusion seemed like a far off goal. Nuclear fission is used for energy, but nuclear fusion will provide an even better green energy solution. Why is fusion better than fission?Basic nuclear fission produces power by splitting atoms, more specifically, uranium atoms. Nations that use nuclear fission to power their countries need access to large amounts of uranium. However, uranium is not easily mined everywhere in the world. Uranium is rarely concentrated enough that its recovery is economically feasible. Alternatively, nuclear fusion uses hydrogen, not uranium. Why is this better? Hydrogen is the most common element in the world, making it more accessible for countries to build plants and use nuclear fusion as a green energy solution. That is why this discovery is so major. It is a step toward clean, nuclear fusion energy for use around the globe. Now that U.S. scientists have tapped into nuclear fusion’s potential, what is their next move? What’s the Next Step?The researchers at the NIF have already begun planning their next move. They now want to experiment with fuel in a frozen hydrogen layer inside these targets. The NIF plans to begin this research this summer. These researchers have received press for their groundbreaking discovery over the past few weeks, but they are not the only people working towards green solutions. While the world waits for nuclear fusion accessibility, many universities and companies are trying to reduce their carbon footprint right now. For example, the United Kingdom has been encouraging professionals to strive for a greener office. In the first year, the government cut its carbon footprint so much that it was equivalent to taking 5,000 cars off of the roads. That is a a lot of fuel saved. If the UK could be this successful just by monitoring the amount of energy they use, imagine how much could be saved if nuclear fusion leads to a widespread green energy solution. Amendment from klimabedrag.dkThe above article was written by Malcolm Smith at the EcoSmart.com blog and was subsequently removed. Because we find the little article genuinely EcoSmart and a plausible way forward, we decided to publish it here at klimabedrag.dk. The article was originally posted February 11th, 2010 Posted in Green Living & News Our message to Megan Ahern is that not all that smells nice is green and that for example windmills are close to the least green thing you can produce electricity with. Windmills are killing the birds, using enormous amount of raw materials, in particular iron and concrete, they need hydro-dam support in order to actually work and they have an enormous footprint. Nuclear in the classic fashion, has some drawbacks, but fusion and in particular thorium both have virtually only plus sides and are therefore at present offering the brightest and greenest future for the next many thousand years. Last but not least: If you want to be green, I mean really green, then you should promote CO₂ to ensure the green plants and trees as much plant-food as possible. The plants prefer at least 1000ppm or 0.1% CO₂. which is still about the lowest concentration in Earth's history. You can read about this basic physics in Joanne Nova's famous booklet.
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| Last Updated on Monday, 15 February 2010 16:54 |
