Because of our intractable and frequently selfish natures, humans look for the fabled deus ex machina to bail us out of our climate-change problems. Rather than alter our profligate habits, we pine for a technology that will save us from ourselves. Of course, that is a forlorn hope, given that climate change is only one part of the trifecta of our woes. As friend Mound frequently points out, one cannot isolate that problem from two others: overpopulation and massive overconsumption of our finite resources.
Nonetheless, there appears on the horizon something that could at least buy us a little more time: a workable fusion reactor. While there are still many hurdles to be overcome, some are predicating that as early as 2030 could see a workable one:
You can read more about the technology here.
The development of fast reactor technology would be terrific. It would be worthwhile, however, to fast track deployment even before it's proven. There is a good deal of the policy, planning and funding paperwork that can be completed in parallel - on the assumption of a viable technology by 2030 - giving deployment a 12-year or greater 'head start.' That can be critical given that we don't have time to waste. The only downside, should the technology fail to deliver, is the expense and resources that would have to be written off but we do that all the time. Traditional, 'snail pace' planning should be avoided if we have a modicum of confidence, better than 50/50, that we will be able to do this. It can take 30 years from conception to getting a nuclear plant up and running. We might be able to shorten that to 15-18 years. Seems like a worthwhile risk.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent idea, Mound. Let's hope it occurs to someone in a position to initate such a process.
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