From: Walter Hicks (wallyshoes@mindspring.com)
Date: Sun Sep 08 2002 - 12:49:47 EDT
george murphy wrote:
>
> But there is no guarantee that this is possible. Of
>course controlled
> fusion is possible - the sun does it all the time. But short of building a
> star, it may be that plasma instabilities and all the other problems that
> beset controlled fusion research will mean that fusion as a source of power
> for everyday use just isn't viable.
Snip
>
> Implications:
> 1. The parts of the space-time universe accessible to us are
> characterized by finitude. There will only be finite energy resources, our
> life spans will always be finite, and we are limited to a finite part of
> space.
> 2. Appropriate use of technology is part of the vocation which God
> gives to humanity, but if we think we're going to use technology to build the
> Kingdom of God, we're going to be disappointed.
It is indeed a profound question as to what the Lord plans for the
human race over
a long period of time. We can be certain that we can accomplish only
those things
which He permits. The basic issues are far more than oil or electricity.
1.) There are too many people in the world for the world's natural resources to
allow us to continue for very much longer in many respects
.
2.) Some people think that civilization is not really bringing forth "good" and
that a return to the cultures of the past may not be a bad thing. Glenn Morton
claims that we will revert to the middle ages -- but stepping back
to the 1800's
is a more realistic limit.
3.) The US has dumped more money into the "Big Dig" in Boston than would be
required for development of a fusion reactor. If it were a national
goal and the US
did try, then we could get to find out if it were possible.
Glenn Morton Writes :
> Think of the things for which petroleum or natural gas is the base.
> Airplane travel, Fertilizers(made from petroleum and natural gas) and
> insecticides(made from petroleum) for crops, plastics, distribution of food
> and raw material.
>
But nuclear fusion cannot be used in these applications all that
fusion would do is
offload electrical power generation from consuming it's portions of oil.
> Hydrocarbons make 42% of the world's electricity.
>
According to the official USA site
http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/electricgeneration.htm ,
most of the electricity generated in the US is by coal, followed by nuclear,
followed by natural gas, followed by water and then by petroleum with petroleum
being a very small fraction of the total. Nuclear fission (100+
plants in the US)
produce 7 times as much electricity as petroleum does. Coal plus
nuclear plus water
plus "other" make up 82% while natural gas and petroleum are the remaining 18%.
Also the site http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/nuclear.htm
shows that nuclear
(fission) is growing without the need for fusion. Perhaps these are
the reasons for
a lack of passion for fusion in the US.
The reason that nuclear power is not more extensive in the US is
political. Fusion
or fission is unlikely to make much difference to those opposed to
nuclear. It is
so bad that the medical profession uses the term MRI instead of NMRI
because of the
fearful word "Nuclear" (See
http://www.cis.rit.edu/htbooks/mri/chap-1/chap-1.htm ).
Or so it all seems to me.
Walt
===================================
Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>
In any consistent theory, there must
exist true but not provable statements.
(Godel's Theorem)
You can only find the truth with logic
If you have already found the truth
without it. (G.K. Chesterton)
===================================
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<p>george murphy wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>
<br> But there is no guarantee
that this is possible. Of course controlled
<br>fusion is possible - the sun does it all the time. But short
of building a
<br>star, it may be that plasma instabilities and all the other problems
that
<br>beset controlled fusion research will mean that fusion as a source
of power
<br>for everyday use just isn't viable.</blockquote>
Snip
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>
<br> Implications:
<br> 1. The parts
of the space-time universe accessible to us are
<br>characterized by finitude. There will only be finite energy
resources,
our
<br>life spans will always be finite, and we are limited to a finite part
of
<br>space.
<br> 2. Appropriate
use of technology is part of the vocation which God
<br>gives to humanity, but if we think we're going to use technology to
build the
<br>Kingdom of God, we're going to be disappointed.</blockquote>
It is indeed a profound question as to what the Lord plans for the human
race over a long period of time. We can be certain that we can accomplish
only those things which He permits. The basic issues are far more than
oil or electricity.
<p>1.) There are too many people in the world for the world's natural resources
to allow us to continue for very much longer in many respects
<br>.
<br>2.) Some people think that civilization is not really bringing forth
"good" and that a return to the cultures of the past may not be a bad thing.
Glenn Morton claims that we will revert to the middle ages -- but
stepping back to the 1800's is a more realistic limit.
<p>3.) The US has dumped more money into the "Big Dig" in Boston than would
be required for development of a fusion reactor. If it were a national
goal and the US did try, then we could get to find out if it were possible.
<p>Glenn Morton Writes :
<br>
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>
<pre>Think of the things for which petroleum or natural gas is the base.
Airplane travel, Fertilizers(made from petroleum and natural gas) and
insecticides(made from petroleum) for crops, plastics, distribution of food
and raw material.</pre>
</blockquote>
<p><br>But nuclear fusion cannot be used in these applications all that
fusion would do is offload electrical power generation from consuming it's
portions of oil.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>
<pre>Hydrocarbons make 42% of the world's electricity.</pre>
</blockquote>
<p><br>According to the official USA site <A
HREF="http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/electricgeneration.htm">http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/electricgeneration.htm>
,
<br>most of the electricity generated in the US is by coal, followed by
nuclear, followed by natural gas, followed by water and then by petroleum
with petroleum being a very small fraction of the total. Nuclear fission
(100+ plants in the US) produce 7 times as much electricity as petroleum
does. Coal plus nuclear plus water plus "other" make up 82% while natural
gas and petroleum are the remaining 18%.
<p>Also the site <A
HREF="http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/nuclear.htm">http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/nuclear.htm>
shows
that nuclear (fission) is growing without the need for fusion. Perhaps
these are the reasons for a lack of passion for fusion in the US.
<p>The reason that nuclear power is not more extensive in the US is political.
Fusion or fission is unlikely to make much difference to those opposed
to nuclear. It is so bad that the medical profession uses the term MRI
instead of NMRI because of the fearful word "Nuclear" (See <A
HREF="http://www.cis.rit.edu/htbooks/mri/chap-1/chap-1.htm">http://www.cis.rit.edu/htbooks/mri/chap-1/chap-1.htm>
).
<p>Or so it all seems to me.
<br>
<p>Walt
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p>===================================
<br>Walt Hicks <wallyshoes@mindspring.com>
<p>In any consistent theory, there must
<br>exist true but not provable statements.
<br>(Godel's Theorem)
<p>You can only find the truth with logic
<br>If you have already found the truth
<br>without it. (G.K. Chesterton)
<br>===================================
<br> </html>
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