Harnessing the Power of the Stars

A new multinational project is being developed in order to explore the possibility of developing an Earth bound source of thermo-nuclear fusion energy. The ITER project will culminate in the construction and testing of the ITER machine, which will be built in France.

The goal is to produce thermonuclear fusion plasma in about 10 years time. The research from ITER will then be used to guide the development of full-scale, serviceable fusion energy plants. Contributions to the project will be made by a seven member consortium.

I don't know of the possibility for detriment from this type of technology. It seems like an awful lot of heat, for one thing. But burning coal as well as other fossil fuels, and present day nuclear fission, are currently producing great amounts of heat, which are affecting ecosystems.

As with anything, common sense dictates that there will be positive and negative aspects. But this technology of fusion power does seem promising, and if it is ever made functional, it has the potential to provide energy on a much more sustainable basis than any type of production currently in practice.

The ITER experiment seeks to generate
usable power from thermonuclear fusion

by about 2016.

Please navigate to the ITER website for more information.