[ RadSafe ] Absurd? Oh, the irony!

[John Andrews]

The problem as I see it with fusion is that all the execss energy is 
given to neutrons.  In order to convert this essentially thermal energy 
of the neutrons into usable thermal energy we have to use uranium as a 
blanket to convert the energy into fission energy using the vastly 
greater energy of the fission products to convert to heat.  Lots of it.  
With that process we are back to all the problems we have today of 
radioactive waste.  The fusion process is pie in the sky until we talk 
about the real problem of converting the fusion energy into heat and 
then into electricity.

John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennesse

bobcherry at cox.net wrote:

>``Nuclear fusion poses the exact problems of nuclear fission in the production of radioactive waste, the risks of accidents and proliferation,'' said Frederic Miller, head of Greenpeace France's nuclear campaign, in an e-mailed statement. ``France seems hypnotized by this absurd project.'' 
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>I wrote a high school English paper on controlled nuclear fusion back in 1963, at a time when fusion power plants were about "ten years away." At one time, I intended to get my PhD in plasma physics, but the local draft board altered my plans and diverted my course.
>
>In my opinion, controlled nuclear fusion to produce electricity is the primary long-term solution to humanity's energy needs. Once it is online, it can eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels (hydrogen produced from water using hydrolysis would replace gasoline and natural gas) and nuclear fission for almost all needs. 
>
>It is well known that the radioactive wastes are relatively short-lived and highly manageable, despite whatever Greenpeace might say to further its agenda. The reaction is so difficult to maintain that it can't run away; if something goes wrong, the reaction stops (some plasma physicists compare controlled nuclear fusion to squeezing Jello). And I would like an explanation of how controlled fusion leads to nuclear proliferation.
>
>The physics was done in the 30s. The engineering remains a formidable task of scaling and control. We need to get to it.
>
>Bob C
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