EU 'declaration of war' over fusion

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/science/story/0,12996,1360548,00.html ^

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

Japan said today it would continue with its bid to host a global nuclear fusion project and warned the European Union against going ahead without Tokyo. However, EU ministers agreed in Brussels to continue seeking Japan's backing to build the world's first thermonuclear reactor in France - but to go ahead without Tokyo if there was no deal by the end of the year.

"It is regrettable that they are talking about taking unilateral action," Satoru Ohtake, director for fusion energy at Science and Technology Ministry, told Reuters. "There is no change in Japan's policy to seek to host the project."

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

Maybe Japan, China, the United States and South Korea can try to build one in Japan, and the EU and Russia can build one in France. Personally I would rather not see the US involved in this effort. We should be able to do it on our own. But if it has to be an international endeavor then it should be constructed in a competition (i.e. the space race).

Holtz JeffersonRepublic.com

[CasearianDaoist]

I bet that Bush thows France a bone here and goes with France. This is just a money hole, IMHO. IT will be another fiascomlike the ISS. We should do a smaller scale project. Perhgaps with the Japanese. ITER is a disater waiting to happen. Let the Euros p*ss away more money on it.

[Lessismore]

The US and South Korea have been supporting the Japanese proposal. China and Russia have been supporting the European proposal.

If the United States were to drop out, the deadlock would be broken.

[CasearianDaoist]

Yes, but there is scuttlebutt that the USA will take up the EU position. There is in effect no deadlock. The EU (read France) has said that they will build in France no matter what anyone else decides. It was all a sham from the beginning. Not a very good way to start a "partnership," now is it? I hope we pull out of ITER.