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The European Union and six other states agreed on an updated plan to finance and establish a timetable for the ITER project, an experimental fusion reactor which could lead towards the development of unlimited and clean fusion energy.
The parties hammered out a deal at the future site of the project in Cadarache, France at Wednesday. The fusion reaction, which is the same process that powers stars, has already been achieved in smaller experimental reactors and in weapons. The difficulty is developing larger fusion reactors and to achieve a constant fusion process which would generate more energy than what is put in.
This International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (or ITER) project was created in order to combine the scientific and industrial capacities of the most advanced countries in the world to solve mankind's energy problems.
Together with the International Space Station and CERN, ITER is the most extensive and complex international project ever undertaken. The seven members -- China, India, South Korea, Japan, Russia, the United States and the European Union -- are committed to contribute to the historic endeavor in the form of financing, the construction of components and by sending scientists.
ITER's governing council met for two days in Cadarache and discussed ways to finance an estimated budget of 16 billion euros, the latest number as reported by the news agency AFP. A deal was reached on Wednesday when the EU, which holds the largest share of the project with 45 percent, pledged additional financing of a maximum 6.6 billion euros.
WASHINGTON — The monthly cost of the war in Afghanistan, driven by troop increases and fighting on difficult terrain, has topped Iraq costs for the first time since 2003 and shows no sign of letting up. Pentagon spending in February, the most recent month available, was $6.7 billion in Afghanistan compared with $5.5 billion in Iraq. As recently as fiscal year 2008, Iraq was three times as expensive; in 2009, it was twice as costly. The shift is occurring because the Pentagon is adding troops in Afghanistan and withdrawing them from Iraq. And it's happening as the cumulative cost of the two wars surpasses $1 trillion, including spending for veterans and foreign aid. Those costs could put increased pressure on President Obama and Congress, given the nation's $12.9 trillion debt.
Originally posted by curioustype
reply to post by curioustype
NB - This would be THE holy grail for 'clean' energy, replacing difficult/dirty fission reactors, yes it would be expensive, but I repeat THE holy grail for sustainable high yield energy - and they really do think they're getting closer. Anyone else confused? Anyone else interested in seeing more investment diverted that way?
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Originally posted by zroth
reply to post by curioustype
"We" don't invest because we don't have the money.
Corporations don't invest because it is bad for their existing business.
A weed will never volunteer it's location to a flower.
Peace
Originally posted by buddhasystem
I'm all for financing hi tech, research and clean energy initiatives. However, realistically, there are many priorities to be covered. While it's all but certain that we'll have fusion energy available to us within 30-50 years, throwing more money at the concept may not be productive.
Originally posted by CUin2013?
I spent some time with 2 physicists last weekend that are working on hot fusion. They were complaining about funding being cut.
I just told them we probably have a working solution for fusion and tptb are sitting on it.
Why spend money faking on a breakthrough when it already exists.