France to Be Site of World's First Nuclear Fusion Reactor

New York Times ^ | 28JUN05 | CRAIG S. SMITH

[familyop]

PARIS, June 28 - France won an international competition today to be the site of the world's first nuclear fusion reactor, an estimated $12 billion project that many scientists see as essential to solving the world's future energy needs. "It is a great success for France, for Europe and for all the partners" in the reactor project, President Jacques Chirac of France said in a statement after an international consortium chose the country as the site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. Japan, which had lobbied hard for the project, just dropped out of the bidding.

[SIDENET]

[thoughtomator]

By the time they actually finish it, the whole USA will be running off of fusion power.

[newguy357]

Fifty years ago fusion power was supposed to be ready in fifty years. Today, the "experts" are still saying fifty years. Saying that France will have the first fusion reactor is like saying that Britain will be where the warp drive is built. Pointless.

[familyop]

For some reason, that photo reminded me of an old joke.

What's red and green and goes 175 miles an hour?



A frog in a blender.

[frgoff]

We have the solution today to the world's energy needs and environmentalists have killed it.

If we ever do get fusion power going, it won't take long before environmentalists scare people with stories of runaway reactors turning into fusion bombs, neutron radiation killing everyone around the plant, heavy water poisoning, etc.

[DainBramage]

Japan, which had lobbied hard for the project, just dropped out

Japan realized it was impossible to not say FRUSION

[tet68]

France won an international competition today to be the site of the world's first nuclear fusion reactor,

France also announced subcontracts with Iran to be the site
of the world's second nuclear fusion reactor to be used for
power generation and medical purposes.

[LasVegasMac]

By the time they actually finish it, the whole USA will be running off of fusion power.

By the time they finish it..........

it will run backwards and surrender at the first chance.

and have an attitude.

LVM

[DJ Taylor]

France, a good place to work the "bugs" out of such a device.

[xrp]

By the time they finally get it completed, the descendants of Tunisian and Algerian Muslims will be running France.

[Viking2002]

By the time they actually finish it, the whole USA will be running off of fusion power.

Ha. By the time the Frogs finish it, we'll have perfected warp drive and colonized an entire arm of the Milky Way. Then they can have the U.S. - or, where it was, anyway. Imagine an entire planet based on liberty and our principles. Great fishing, great hunting, backyard barbeques every day, cold beer, big trucks, individual choice and responsibility, low crime/harsh punishment, no ACLU, Marxism outlawed by Constitutional construct, the recognition of the Word of God as our origin of law........and planetary defenses. It'll be easy to recognize invading Frog spaceships - they'll be the ones with the yellow stripes painted down the backs of their hulls. Oh, and the Second Amendment will not be a 'right' granted at the convenience of the ruling authority. You'll be required to pack heat. You and your neighbors will be the appointed militia/border patrol for the common good. Just be sure what you're shooting at (but, if you're a Freeper, I ain't worried about my back.) ;-)

[Betaille]

"We have the solution today to the world's energy needs and environmentalists have killed it."

Exactly. They have fear-mongered so effectively against Nuclear fission energy that I see no reason why they wouldn't do the same against fusion. These people are not really for the environment, they are just fanatics.

[Andrew LB]

I agree. If things go boom... at least it wont be here. :)

[Betaille]

By the way, do you know the figures on Nuclear Power vs. Fossil Fuels? At this point in time would it be cost effective to switch almost entirely to Nuclear?

[spinestein]

[We have the solution today to the world's energy needs and environmentalists have killed it. If we ever do get fusion power going, it won't take long before environmentalists scare people with stories of runaway reactors turning into fusion bombs, neutron radiation killing everyone around the plant, heavy water poisoning, etc.]



As a physics student in the late 80's I had a conversation of just this type at a weekend party. I said that fusion power had the potential to provide vast amounts of clean energy if only the huge investment in technology would be made over a sustained period. Some other party goer (who was a proud PETA member) started bashing the whole thing as piles of radiation everywhere, nuclear explosions melting through the Earth, clouds of radioactive helium spewing through the atmosphere, etc.

I told him what he was afraid of wasn't possible with fusion technology but he insisted (as a knowledgeable environmentalist) that it was guaranteed to happen, and of course the other people listening had no way to verify which of us was correct.

[Mike Darancette]

I hope there isn't a problem.

[TBall]

Hard to imagine the consequences of France holding a fusion monopoly?

[RS]

In 1996 when about 20% of our power was nuclear, France was generating about 80% of theirs.