ENDLESS energy with next to no radioactive waste? Fusion power will always
sound too good to be true. And yet after two years of gloom, the sun is shining
on the idea. In 1999, the US pulled out of the ambitious international project
known as ITER鈥攄esigned to generate usable energy by squeezing atomic
nuclei together鈥攃laiming it had too many technical problems and cost too
much. But last month the President鈥檚 science adviser said the US should think
again. Why the change of heart? One reason is a spate of promising findings from
other fusion projects
(see 鈥淗ere comes the sun鈥�).
More significantly, ITER鈥檚 costs have been
more than halved. The present participants鈥擱ussia, Europe, Japan and,
possibly, Canada鈥攚ould have to find $4.8 billion over eight years
to build the reactor. That鈥檚 about $150 million a year each鈥攍oose
change for most of the partners.
The chance that ITER will actually work remains remote, but at this price it
has got to be worth taking a punt. Besides, unlike the $30 billion space
station, ITER has a clear purpose and end point. If it doesn鈥檛 generate enough
electricity, we can simply pull the plug. There is, of course, another reason
why the US is again making eyes at ITER. Did anyone really believe George Bush
would allow his allies a stab at unlocking such a fantastic power source without
the US?