Fusion Energy in 2008?

by Rob Strang

Non-renewable energy is just that, non-renewable. People can argue about how long it will last, but there can be no doubt that coal, oil and natural gas will not fuel our society forever. So what have our political leaders planned for our children's future?

It doesn't appear like the federal Conservatives have got past the coal and oil age. When Stephen Harper refers to Canada as an energy superpower, he is talking oil sands, among the worst greenhouse gas emitting energy sources. In Ontario, Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals are betting our future on nuclear power. They are ignoring the issue of perpetual waste storage, massive cost overruns and forgetting that uranium is also a non-renewable resource.

Massive price increases in the last eight years may indicate that uranium is not as plentiful as some believe. At best, it will be a stop gap measure until a more sustainable energy source comes along. I suspect that Dalton and other fans of nuclear energy are probably holding a candle for nuclear fusion as the ultimate energy source. The holy grail of energy technology.

Fusion reactions use more abundant, light atomic nuclei as fuel, rather than uranium. It is my understanding that there isn't any physical substance that can withstand the heat to contain it and therefore the reaction must be suspended in a magnetic field. I'm out of my league here, but I picture a floating ball of energy, lots of backup systems keeping it there and politicians with no authority to make technical decisions on safety.

It is also a challenge to get more energy out of the process than you put in. In Europe, scientists have initiated the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project. This program's goal is to ultimately produce up to 500 MW for up to 400 seconds. It will take 10 years to build and cost 14 billion dollars.

As it turns out, there is another fusion reactor in play that already has a positive energy balance, an impeccable safety record and no close neighbours to complain. It is suspended in a vacuum and has a fairly reliable energy distribution system. It was created by our Creator and is locally called the sun. The energy is delivered at no charge to our doorsteps or rooftops. With crops, trees and grasses, we have even been given a variety of self replicating organisms that will capture this energy and store it for later use.

Our problem is not a lack of energy. Our problem is that we aren't making use of the clean energy that is God given. We have fusion energy. It's right where it should be. It can't be improved upon. We don't need to return all of the carbon in coal, oil and natural gas into the atmosphere. We just need to improve how we use the sustainable energy that we have and learn to limit our demand.

Rob Strang is a former Orangeville Town Councilor, a professional engineer and a self-employed father of three, committed to promoting sustainable development.