Unlimited Power...Finally?

I have always maintained that God provides the things that mankind needs to move to the next level at the appropriate times.  In terms of energy, He has ramped up our expertise and energy sources to match each other over the ages.

First, wood.  For a 100,000 years, man used wood to fuel fires and cook food.  It was available almost everywhere and simple to obtain.  Still in use.

Next came coal.  To power the burgeoning industrial revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, coal and the technology to mine it and burn it efficiently took over from wood in a huge hurry.  It lead to transportation machines, factories and so much energy that peoples lives, and working conditions literally changed overnight.  The abundance of energy meant whole civilizations could progress to the next level.

Then came oil and natural gas.  These wonderful, energy intensive fuels gave us cars and trucks and tractors and airplanes.  They so changed the world that population explosions occurred everywhere.  Our lives are so much easier and better because of them.  And we hardly recognize the amazing and indispensable difference after only 100 years.

Then in 1945 came nuclear power.  Of course it took another decade after the bombs to harness it into something that could power the electricity grid.  But that of course happened and now the US has about 104 plants and the world about 350 plants.  France produces 75% of its electricity from nuclear plants.  Unfortunately, as the technology to produce energy cleanly became more abundant, the risks became larger.  I do maintain that the risks are manageable, especially with today's plant designs and risk management systems, so the hysteria caused by Fukashima is a terrible backward step.

But is that all?  For 60 years we have known how to make fusion warheads. It only took ten years to go from fission warheads to power plants.  But the step to fusion power plants has always seemed to be 50 years away, even with marvelous advances like the National Nuclear Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore Lab. 

Of course, the naysayers keep telling us we will run out of oil and gas soon. And out of nuclear fission fuel after that, if we don't irradiate ourselves first.  But my optimism on this is that God has provided these resources in a timely manner to be what we need to make the next step forward.  And the next level of innovation in energy will come in time before we run out of the preceding one.

Now, see the video of Charles Chase in this link.  Maybe the promise of clean, safe, non-irradiating fusion power is a lot closer that we have thought, maybe only ten years.  Maybe the whole world can be a "first world."  Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Popular Science:  Fusion-power-could-happen-sooner-you-think

Lockheed Skunkworks is talking about a working model of a fusion reactor in 5 years and a 100MW truck mounted plant in 10 years, and powering the world by 2050.  This date gives us a pretty nice cushion before running out of oil and gas and uranium.  Imagine the whole world with all the electricity it can use.  Imagine clean water for all, Imagine 100% literacy rates.  Imagine good housing for everyone. Imagine...Truly a wonderful future for mankind!  The ultimate gift from God!

The political ramifications, as discussed by PJTV:  Fusion Power in a Box

Unfortunately the boys may be too close to the mark on the political hurdles we still face.  Energy is civilization.  Let's hope the Green Luddites don't get their way.

Update on Oct 14:  The November, 2013 Popular Mechanics Magazine has an article on breakthrough technologies.  The Leadership award went to Peter Diamandis, creator of the X Prize Foundation.  This quote is from Peter:  "Over the past 100 years, the human life span has more than doubled, the cost of food has dropped thirteen-fold, energy has dropped twenty-fold, transportation has dropped a hundredfold, communications has dropped over a thousand-fold.  All of these things have been enabled by technology - and the rate at which innovation is occuring is accelerating, not slowing down.  I think we are heading toward epic, extraordinary change. I think we're going to transform the way we live, the way we govern.  I think every aspect of society is going to fundamentally change over the next 30 years."

And I think he is right, as long as we can supply abundant, economic and hopefully clean energy.  Fusion is the future, and I hope it is closer than we have been thinking.