For decades scientists have been looking for ways to improve methods of producing energy. More specifically, to find ways to increase energy output and decrease energy input. With the ability to create massive amounts of energy abundant amounts of electricity could reach every corner of the globe and even propel vehicles through space. In today’s world that is almost achieved by the use of fossil fuels, solar, fission, and hydroelectric. The closest determination possible to create the greatest amount of energy thus far has been found to the same process which fuels stars, nuclear fusion. Thus, nuclear fusion is the key to solving the world’s energy problems.
There will always be a need for energy. A need that will not be satisfied by the methods to obtain it today in the future. One of the main upcoming problems in the near future is the increase of population. “New, environmentally sustainable forms of electricity will be required to meet the aspirations of a growing world population. By 2050, an expected rise in global population from six
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There is no production of greenhouse gases from the process. All radioactive waste will be recyclable within a century; as opposed to the amount taken by fission. The radioactive waste produced by current nuclear reactors is highly dangerous and difficult to manage and properly store. It takes at least a quarter-million years to be considered safe. In retrospect, fusion only produces a significantly small amount of waste that is not nearly as harmful and only has a half-life of approximately 12 years. “A fusion reactor is like a gas burner: the fuel which is injected in the system is burnt. There is very little fuel in the reaction chamber at any moment and, if the fuel supply is interrupted, the fusion reactions last for only a few seconds. Any malfunction of the device would cause the plasma to cool and the reactions to stop.”