We’ll never achieve unlimited energy. And for that perhaps we should be grateful.
By Crawford Kilian, The Tyee
The media went wild on Dec. 13 when American scientists and officials reported the first instance of hydrogen fusion that actually produced more energy than they had pumped into it. By slamming hydrogen atoms together inside a tiny diamond shell, the force of 192 high-powered lasers had created helium and 3.15 megajoules of excess energy — “the equivalent,” according to one report, “of about three sticks of dynamite.”
The test had been conducted on Dec. 5 at the National Ignition Facility of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, east of the San Francisco Bay Area. The NIF promptly issued a long news release praising the scientists “whose work will help us solve humanity’s most complex and pressing problems, like providing clean power to combat climate change and maintaining a nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing.”
That nuclear-deterrent line said the quiet part out loud, just as a U.S. government official had in the press conference about the test. Marvin Adams, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s deputy director for defense programs, made it clear at the press conference that this and future tests would help in the design of better nuclear weapons, thereby enhancing the credibility of U.S. deterrence. Oh, and yes, we might someday see “basically unlimited” carbon-free energy.
Recent Posts
Why I’m Voting Against The Military Budget
December 9, 2024
Take Action NowWhile so many Americans struggle to get by, the US is spending record-breaking amounts of money on the military.…
With Trump’s Second Term, A Feeling Of History Repeating
December 9, 2024
Take Action NowWith the election of Donald Trump, many Americans are feeling like they’re stuck in a time warp. Are we?By…
Americans Hate Their Private Health Insurance
December 8, 2024
Take Action NowThe response to UnitedHealthcare CEO’s murder surely disproves the claim that Americans love the private health insurance…
California Activists Urge Newsom To Pardon Immigrants
December 6, 2024
Take Action NowWith Trump’s plans for mass deportations, pardons could protect those who have served their sentences, advocates say.……