RE: France to pitch for experimental fusion power plant

["Dr Christoph Hofmeyr" <chofmeyr@nnr.co.za>]

Radsafers,

Sandy quoting Reuters: 



(ITER) "..it aims to produce a clean and safe source of energy using

fusion.

"If we succeed, this is the solution to all our problems and we'll no 

longer need to go to war in Iraq," a source close to the project 

said, adding that it would be conducted over 40-50 years..."



One is used to scientists putting a spin on things to further their

cause, but this 'source' seems to move from the sublime to the

ridiculous...  Never the less, a valuable contract to attract.



What is not said loudly is that the experts expect the first generations

of fusion reactors  to be sustainable only as breeders of fissile

material like Pu-239, as they say, "clean and safe" (for use in good old

fission reactors?).  I almost forgot about the tritium, the stuff that

caused the Brookhaven research reactor to be closed down. I suspect that

the fusionists think that by the time their contraption will become

operational, everybody will have forgotten that plutonium and tritium

are supposed to be dirty words.  The time horizon has stayed remarkably

constant at about 50 years and therefore beyond my own. 

My own sceptical thoughts.

Chris Hofmeyr

chofmeyr@nnr.co.za



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