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June 29, 2005
Greenpeace on Fusion.
Greenpeace on the agreement to continue research into fusion power (and yes, I know it’s all a grubby political compromise with the French):
"Greenpeace, the environmental campaign group, said any results would not be for 50 years. "At a time when it is universally recognised that we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, we consider it ridiculous to use resources and billions of euros on this project," it said."
But, but, I thought this was the most important thing we had to do? Work out away of living, producing energy, without emissions? Or is it more important that we change our way of living without a technological fix?
June 29, 2005 in Climate Change | Permalink
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Comments
But...but...it says nuclear! Bad! NO LIKE! This pisses me off deeply.
Posted by: Alex | Jun 29, 2005 10:14:57 AM
Damn right. Any self-proclaimed 'environmentalist' who opposes fusion research should be thorougly horsewhipped.
Posted by: john b | Jun 29, 2005 10:20:31 AM
"universally recognised that we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050": oh bollocks.
Posted by: dearieme | Jun 29, 2005 10:58:50 AM
Can't understand why these 70s greenies are so wedded to anti-nuclearism. Never mind even the emissions, where do they think we're going to get our power from when the oil runs out? Morons.
I was on the beach the other day, just along the road from Sizewell. Very nice it was.
Posted by: Jarndyce | Jun 29, 2005 12:19:08 PM
Reminds me of the Green reaction (I think it may have been Paul Erlich)back when Cold Fusion seemed feasible. "Unlimited cheap power would be a total disaster".
Posted by: John Davis | Jun 29, 2005 2:35:18 PM
I think they (the Melons) just want to let humans die off, but are too ashamed to admit it.
Posted by: Rob Read | Jun 29, 2005 4:02:24 PM
Greenpeace is wrong here. On each and every point.
No one knows if this project will master fusion. It could occur in 10 years or years. But the cost of trying is minimal* and the potential enormous.
It is not certain or clear that fusion will produce dangerous radiation or waste. That depends upon what design, if any, finally works.
Greenpeace seems to have overlooked this: It is "universally recognized" that we will not reduce greenhouse gases by 2050. Every major political and scientific study reaches that conclusion.
I think greenhouse gas reduction is important. But it won't be done by hissy fits about fusion. Fusion is actually our best chance to cut carbon fuel use.
* the cost is about that of building a large airport once a decade. the world sure needs another one of those.
Posted by: KenS | Jun 29, 2005 9:50:56 PM
This whole post is based on a misaprehension, and that is that Greenpeace is an environmental organisation. It is not, and has not been for many years. Greenpeace is an anti-industrial organisation.
The opinions and actions of most environmentalists and anti-industrialists are sufficiently similar for the two to be confused, even by themselves, but you can be an environmentalist and still be in favour of freedom, free enterprise, wealth creation and technological fixes; favouring market based solutions to environmental problems. You can't be an active anti-industrialist without being a control freak and hating people. On that point - enter Greenpeace.
Posted by: Chris harper | Jun 30, 2005 3:23:56 AM
Well said Chris Harper. I'm in favour of new (MODERN) nuclear plants, in favour of fusion research, and sick of the loonies now running Greenpeace.
I'm an EX-member. I joined at a time they were acting sensibly on things like CFC emissions, by (for example) producing a CFC-free fridge with a German company to disprove the allegations that it wasn't practical to use anything else.
At the time I liked the idea of an organisation that acted as a counter-weight to the narrow self-interest of big business. I was wrong. Greenpeace are just another bunch of loons more interested in stupid stunts and raising cash to preach their anti-modern world message than in actually putting forward genuine alternatives and entering into genuine debates on issues like nuclear power.
Posted by: David Wildgoose | Jun 30, 2005 10:39:45 AM
