Fusion?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

That argument REALLY has to stop because it's fucking stupid

.

You view unlimited power from a technology we already have as 'fucking stupid'?  Well, handsome is as handsome does, I suppose.

But harnessing its energy (at least from Earth's surface) is not terribly efficient or cheap.

Actually, it IS efficient, and it can be made cheap.  Cheaper than fusion, anyroad.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE solar energy.

Solar energy quivers with excitement at your declaration of love.

There's nothing better than energy we can get for nothing - but is it really?

No, it isn't.  But then no one - not even me - said we can get solar energy for nothing.

We have to manufacture the systems

Now, there's a complete devastating argument.  Because we clearly have never had to manufacture systems we use for coal or fission or natural gas.  And we certainly won't have to build fusion plants at a trillion dollars a pop.

and deploy it on a substantial amount of land.

I wouldn't go so far as to call that statement 'fucking stupid', but it's colossally ignorant.  Solar collection installations take up a lot less groundage than most people think.  Look it up.

Then we have to distribute it across long distances.

*shrug*  My power is produced by a plant more than 200 miles away.  If conventional power can be transported long distances, why do you assume it's a problem for solar?  And why wouldn't it be for fusion?

It's doable and I'm all for it but STOP pretending it is in the same category as massive fusion power plants running on sea water. That's ridiculous

I agree completely - a technology we have is not in the same category as one we don't.

The former would be (and is) awesome progress we should all applaud but the latter is an absolute game-changer.

I agree.  I agree.

Fusion power plants, generating more power than they consume, feeding off deuterium from sea water would absolutely revolutionize the world.

So would gorillas in pink tutus quoting Ibsen in Klingon.  But I don't expect to see that any time soon, either.

Please don't make it an either/or thing.

I'm not.  My wife and I own a Land Rover and a Passat.  When we take a trip, it's an 'either /or thing'.  Taking the Land rover or the Lamborghini is NOT an either/or thing.  Why?  BECAUSE WE DON'T OWN A LAMBO!!

Please don't make it an either/or thing. Renewable energy from solar and wind is great and we should absolutely pursue that. But if we can succeed, artificial nuclear fusion is just fucking awesome and a true paradigm changer. Let's pursue both.

I agree that more than one source of power for human beings is better than 'all eggs in one basket' sort of thing, but what is the point of spending billions (possibly trillions) of pursuing a technology that may never come off when that money could be better spent on renewables that we already know how to harness?  Not just solar and wind, but geothermal, hydro and others.

Suppose you have $100 and you're hungry - not starving, just seriously famished.  Within walking distance of you are places to get burgers, pizza, sushi, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, salad, fish - hundreds of choices.  Would you opt for one of those when you need food now, or would you spend the next week not eating because you're searching for braised penguin in bumblebee sauce?

Boru