| The vast majority of serious scientists around the | | | | emits considerably less radioactivity and causes |
| world now agree that climate change is a reality | | | | far less waste. |
| and is caused by carbon emissions. Thus | | | | In 2006, the ITER project was founded by an |
| alternative sources of energy must be implanted | | | | international consortium to set up, within 30 years, |
| to remedy this state of affairs. Nuclear fusion | | | | the world's first reactor to successfully and |
| energy is a work-in-progress; while it has been | | | | effectively produce nuclear fusion energy. While |
| achieved for human purposes it hasn't yet been | | | | the energy provided is estimated to be 10 million |
| fully controlled. Nonetheless, it is being discussed | | | | times higher than burning fossil fuels, the green |
| as a viable future technology by governments, | | | | lobby has largely panned the project for chasing a |
| businesses and experts. | | | | distant, unviable dream. |
| Certain materials such as iron and nickel have high | | | | Roger Higman of Friends of the Earth has stated |
| 'binding energies' in their nuclei. These multiple, | | | | that the many billions of dollars being earmarked |
| like-charged nuclei can be combined to form a | | | | for ITER could better be spent on alternative |
| heavier and more potent nucleus which in turn | | | | technologies that are proven to work. George |
| produces large amounts of energy. At this point, | | | | Monbiot is the author of Heat: How to Stop the |
| nuclear fusion energy can be said to have | | | | Planet Burning, which asserts that, by 2030, the |
| occurred. While aspects of this process have been | | | | world must slash its carbon emissions by 90% if it |
| used in the nuclear industry, it is has so far been | | | | has any hope of averting catastrophe. He toured |
| rather limited in its application to human energy: | | | | the Jet European Taurus plant and found that the |
| temperatures well beyond 100 million Celsius - | | | | information given to him about its nuclear fusion |
| way hotter than the sun - must be generated | | | | energy potential was contradictory and |
| and harnessed and this requires an enormous | | | | unconvincing. There isn't the time to experiment, |
| amount of funding, research and dedication. | | | | so Monbiot believes, more immediate solutions |
| However, the prizes are very enticing - | | | | such as solar and wind power should be explored. |
| approximately 1 per cent of the deuterium found | | | | So, as with much else in the environmental arena, |
| in the world's oceans has the potential to provide | | | | this issue is very much open to debate. At the |
| 500,000 times as much energy as all the fossil | | | | moment it seems that governments around the |
| fuels the world has ever contained. As compared | | | | world, including the UK and US, are confident |
| with nuclear fission - the current form of nuclear | | | | about its realization, although environmentalists are |
| power that is used around the world - fusion | | | | more sceptical. |