Fusion News: LiveScience – The Promise of Fusion is Real, If it’s Properly Funded

Fusion research has had ambivalent support because of the hurdles to achieving ignition. However, research is at the cusp of realizing the potential of fusion and continued government support is necessary. The rest of the world is continuing to pour money into fusion research and it is important for the United States to continue funding research and maintaining its commitment to ITER according to an article in LiveScience titled “The Promise of Fusion is Real, If it’s Properly Funded:“

Finally, magnetic fusion is increasingly on the research radar of the world’s most developed and rapidly developing nations: South Korea currently operates one of the world’s premiere tokamaks, K-STAR, and has announced plans to build by 2037 an actual fusion reactor capable of generating electricity; and Germany is developing a design alternate to ITER, called a stellerator, that will put any fusion device this side of the Atlantic to shame. Asia is likewise jumping on the fusion bandwagon. Either all of Eurasia is wrong, or they’re on to something. America will fail to follow suit at its technological and competitive peril.

After all, if America is to continue to be a technological world leader, it should stick to its word and demonstrate that it’s a reliable partner.

ITER has come a long way since the November day in 1985 when the idea was first proposed by Soviet head of state Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Now, it might be all that stands in the way of an abundant supply of clean energy for the planet. America should place a little more faith in the kid in the corner.