Clean, Limitless Energy Exists. China Is Going Big in the Race to Harness It.
(www.nytimes.com)
from schizoidman@lemmy.zip to world@lemmy.world on 15 Dec 2025 00:25
https://lemmy.zip/post/55017197
from schizoidman@lemmy.zip to world@lemmy.world on 15 Dec 2025 00:25
https://lemmy.zip/post/55017197
cross-posted from: slrpnk.net/post/31427438
Beijing is pouring vast resources into fusion research, while the U.S. wants private industry to lead the way. The winner could reshape civilization.
#world
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Not if the US has anything to say about it. And by that I mean doubling down on fossil fuels and making a total ass of itself.
Everyone gets a lump of toxic Coal!
This kind of investment gives me hope that fusion may one day be economically feasible.
How will we monetize it?!
You know, the us already has access to fusion energy - but for some reason utilities don't like people having access to solar
To be fair, most places don’t have unlimited sun in the day let alone at night. Perhaps a tower like structure that exists above the stratosphere might get a 100 percent solar input, so that we would be able to harness the power of the sun, in the palm of our hands.
You don’t necessarily need full sun any more (though it helps). Solar panels are a lot better than they used to be at generating power on cloudy, overcast days. You can even use them in the North of Britain these days. Of course they generate more on both of our sunny days, but they still work on our normal rainy cloudy days too.
I remember reading about some plan to fill the Sahara desert with solar panels, which would in theory be able to power the whole world, but I imagine there’s a whole lot of politics, profit and greed in the way of something like that ever working (I imagine there’s also a tonne of engineering and environmental considerations).
transmission losses are my biggest concern tbh
Like the Australia - Asia solar project?
Fusion feels like one of those things that’s been “a couple of decades away” since like the 1960s.
Even if it works, would it ever be cheaper or massively more useful than nationwide wind turbine networks, tidal power and fields full of solar panels?
Could be important if we want to leave the solar system at some point, and it would be nice to make it actually work, but I’m not seeing the big advantage over everything else.
Wind and solar is not a constant controllable source. Theoretically, fusion would allow for a very consistent and large base load. Tidal power so far has had lots of issues afaik. Turns out it’s really hard to make reliable generators that are in constant contact with salt water. Don’t get me wrong, all of those other sources are going to be extremely important, but fusion will absolutely be worthwhile if we can actually get it running.
Will it be boiling water again?
can you imagine how much water you can boil with your own tiny sun? we are going to be boiling so much water.
You won’t be disappointed when you boil so much water
China is also burning more coal than ever before. Don’t fall for the greenwashing.