Achieving sustained nuclear fusion for power production is incredibly challenging. Scientists have been working on this problem for decades. This piece is an overview of the basic concepts and technologies needed for nuclear fusion power. One could also view this as a tutorial, or a crash-course, in fusion power.
Author: Ben Harack
I'm an aspiring omnologist who is fascinated by humanity's potential.
Science denial: Vaccines, vitamins and GMOs
Michael Specter delivered a clear and powerful message in his talk at TED in 2010. Vaccines save lives, yet people fear them. GMOs are primarily opposed for reasons unrelated to the method of their construction.
Land use of coal vs wind: Still room for debate
Land usage for power systems is a common comparison metric. We demonstrate here that the comparison cannot be conducted meaningfully on such simplistic grounds. Additional factors must be taken into consideration.
How can you deliberately change your society?
How do people try to chance society? Why do these methods work? How can they be resisted? Progressive and regressive change can depend on many of the same basic techniques.
The regulatory battle over coal fly ash heats up
The coal industry has had a history of lobbying against a hazardous waste label for fly ash. Fly ash is toxic enough that the EPA mandated decades ago that it be captured and stored rather than emitted into the atmosphere.
Jeffrey Sachs on the high price of ignoring poverty
We can end poverty in two decades. HIV/AIDS has reached a steady state in the world. Military spending is 25 times aid spending. We can achieve peace through shared prosperity.
Misconceptions spreading about the price of solar power
A recent Clean Technica article said that solar power would be cheaper than coal if it received the same subsidies. This is incorrect.
How the common explanations for poverty are incorrect
The common ideas that purport to explain the fact of poverty are in fact not the primary causal factors of poverty.
Types of hydroelectric power: How do the dam things work?
Hydroelectricity, or ‘hydro’, is generated from the energy in the water cycle of the earth. The sun evaporates water on the surface of the earth, causing it to rise up to form clouds. Clouds eventually form droplets, which then rain, snow, or hail down to the surface. Water on the surface flows downhill until it evaporates again. During this time it may become trapped in glaciers, lakes, ponds, puddles, or the ocean. Driven by the sun, the water cycle is a truly renewable resource.
National and cultural issues that contribute to poverty and hamper development
Now we are going to discuss the issues that shape the development of extremely poor nations and cultures.
What keeps communities locked in the extreme poverty trap?
Extreme poverty is a state of subsistence living in which most, if not all, efforts are directed towards survival. Extreme poverty has many direct consequences. What we are discussing here are the direct feedback effects that tend to cause cycles of deepening poverty on a community level.
Our global human tribe: How we must extend empathy beyond our religion and nation
Jeremy Rifkin implores us: “to begin rethinking human nature. To bring out our empathic sociability, so that we can rethink the institutions and society and prepare the groundwork for an empathic civilisation.”
Jim Elliott shares his thoughts on sustainability, community, and living green
Jim Elliott is a notable figure in the sustainability movement in Regina and Saskatchewan. He is involved with many environmental action groups, poverty-reduction groups, and the Citizen’s Public Transit Coalition for Regina.
The foundations of personal change
How do we change as people? Why do we change as people? This work is intended to be an earnest discussion of the realities of personal change.
Software tools that we use to collaborate across the world
How do we keep in touch? How do we collaborate over such distances? This post is a description of the major software tools we use to do this.
Laura Pfeifer on urban ecology and community leadership
Laura Pfeifer is the founder and editor of Regina Urban Ecology, and is the Regina organizer of Jane’s Walk.
Why electrical energy storage is useful
This week we are taking a look at electric energy storage. There are a number of important reasons why energy storage systems are desirable for power grids.
Fixing our media hypnosis
We have an ever-accelerating journalism cycle that is making mistakes, shortening our attention spans, presenting opinion as news, and trivializing our political debates. We are learning that even though we have an unimaginable wealth of information at our fingertips, our trust can be easily misplaced.
Hans Rosling: Health, wealth, and progress of the world
While demonstrating the changes on his graphs, Rosling delivers a rapid-fire description of the major political choices and world forces that are driving the change.
Media speed’s negative effect on politics
The advent of intense media speed and opinion masquerading as news have had some damaging effects on our political system. This is especially evident in the coverage leading up to and during elections.