4 ms·
No, degrowther, we should power shipping with onboard fusion reactors.
by hoseja 2y ago
No, degrowther, we should power shipping with onboard fusion reactors.
- Earw0rm 2y agoNot sure if that's sarcasm, given the existence (or, not) of practical fusion technology. We do of course know how to power large ships with nuclear fission. The US Navy has been doing so - for generations(!). Only issue with that is the US military is a "money is no object" scenario. Price container shipping at the unit cost of hauling it on a naval nuclear reactor, and we'd be looking at degrowth anyway. It's proven, practical technology, but very very expensive. (Other countries with nuclear deterrents run their sub fleets on fission, but even those with nuclear subs have found it too costly for their surface fleet).
- saagarjha 2y agoAnd what shall we do until then?
- rob74 2y agoMicrosoft expects to get fusion power from Helion in 3 years, so (if we are very, maybe unrealistically, optimistic) the wait won't be that long. Actually, seeing recent developments, I'm afraid the only remotely realistic chance left to limit global warming is for fusion to become widely available and dirt cheap pretty damn soon! Renewables, you say? Nah, those windmills are disgusting and made in China anyway, so we're better off burning good clean American coal and oil (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/03/trump-war-on-clean-energy-big-oil https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/03/trump-war-on...).