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Coal power plants produce a product consisting of electric power and atmospheric CO2 emissions. Those CO2 emissions will cause major climate change resulting in
by tlb 8y ago
Coal power plants produce a product consisting of electric power and atmospheric CO2 emissions. Those CO2 emissions will cause major climate change resulting in many major cities being underwater within 100 years, more frequent dangerous weather events like hurricanes, and disruption of a wide variety of ecosystems possibly causing food shortages.
Fusion plants, on the other hand, produce only electric power.
If fusion could be figured out, we could use 10x as much energy as we do now with no long-term environmental consequences. That would do a great deal to improve the human condition.
- ajross 8y ago> Fusion plants, on the other hand, produce only electric power. Fusion plants produce exactly zero electrical power. Someday they might. They don't now. The complaint was that we shouldn't talk about the cost of developing fusion power because someday it might be magic. But it's not magic, and the cost is non-zero. And the relevant competitors aren't coal (which is already dying), it's things like solar and wind, which are already available, somewhat cheaper than coal on balance (but not gas, yet), and literally infinitely cheaper than fusion. I'm not saying that fusion is a bad idea, but you can't shut down discussion about its very significant costs with a fairy wand and some text about improving the human condition. Fusion power has been just around the corner for literally three quarters of a century. It's time to start prioritizing the thing that have actual, measurable effects on the human condition.