By Rachel Morgan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer
We are living through unprecedented times.
That was the tagline when the startling COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe.
But the phrase had already become commonplace for a generation altered by the reality of climate change. What scientists now commonly call the 害羞草研究所渟ixth extinction event害羞草研究所�, defined by the massive loss of plant and animal life over a short geological period, is the likely outcome of temperature increase caused by human activity, namely the use of carbon to create the addictive energy that fuels our lifestyles.
But we are also, simultaneously, living through unprecedented technological times. We now have, more than ever before, the science to solve some of the world害羞草研究所檚 greatest problems.
Last month, physicists delivered perhaps the most significant experimental result, ever. It holds the promise of bringing Star Trek to life.
READ ALSO:
But experts are already warning that `nuclear fusion害羞草研究所� technology, suddenly being heralded by many as the panacea, the great answer to our planetary climate problem, should not distract from the critical role renewable energy sources are already playing in our quest to cleanse Earth.
While some forms of renewable energy have been used as far back as 2,000 years ago when the Greeks built water mills to turn grains into flour, modern renewable energy technologies first began to take shape over the 19th and 20th centuries. It wasn害羞草研究所檛 until the turn of the 21st century that technologies like wind turbines and solar panels reached the point of viability as wide scale sources of energy. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable sources of energy are now, collectively, on track to surpass coal as the number one generator of electricity by 2025.
A month ago, everything changed. Suddenly, the entire conversation around alternative energy has been shifted, forever.
On December 5, at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), part of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, 192 lasers were directed at a miniscule, frozen pellet of deuterium and tritium, heavier forms of hydrogen. Combined, the lasers fired 2.05 megajoules of energy generating enough heat and pressure to cause the hydrogen inside to fuse. While the tiny blaze only lasted a billionth of a second, creating temperatures roughly ten-times hotter than the sun, the impact was everlasting. For the first time, the output of energy from the reaction was greater than the input, almost 50 percent greater.
The process, called nuclear fusion, is the reaction that powers the sun. While it was discovered back in the 1930s that this process was possible to replicate, NIF is the first to have achieved 害羞草研究所渋gnition害羞草研究所�, a net gain of energy.
When news broke there was a sigh of relief across the globe. Immediately, articles began circulating about salvation for the planet as fusion would, inevitably, power a clean energy grid.
But as the novelty of the remarkable breakthrough begins to wear off, researchers and scientists are already wary of the potential negative consequences.
害羞草研究所淚 was not overly optimistic,害羞草研究所� Jean-Thomas Bernard, a visiting professor in the Department of Economics and the Institute of the Environment at the University of Ottawa, says. His expertise deals with the economics of energy use and he addressed the potential of nuclear fusion. 害羞草研究所淚t is a good idea to proceed with developing, doing research on that line. But we are very far from seeing commercial plants being built.害羞草研究所�
His concern, like many others in the growing fields dedicated to finding solutions for the most pressing environmental issues, is the danger of being distracted by a silver bullet, especially one that might arrive too late.
It could take more than 40 years before nuclear fusion can be harnessed and scaled to create the amount of electricity needed to change the game. Meanwhile, alternatives that are already doing this, could be suddenly overlooked, in favour of a technology that won害羞草研究所檛 be ready before catastrophic climate change alters Earth, forever.
Currently, there is research and testing into two different methods to create the type of nuclear fusion the California experiment produced. Both rely on heavy forms of hydrogen which are compressed until they fuse together emitting energy that can create steam to turn a turbine. The process used at the NIF lab relied on laser beams directed at the elements, which needed about 99 percent more energy to actually operate them than what was ultimately produced (the ignition event only measures the energy gain from the laser output, not the electricity required to run the laser machines).
Another process being experimented with across the globe, including in British Columbia, uses magnetic force to create the pressure and heat needed for the elements to fuse. It is unclear which process will result in the biggest gains, using the least amount of initial energy input. It害羞草研究所檚 also unclear which of the two methods might be realistically scalable, to use for global electricity production. Scientists have also said it is hard to predict how long it will take to advance current technology around each method to the point when nuclear fusion can be widely generated to create energy for everyday human use.
Experts agree it could still be decades before we see fusion contributing to our electricity grid.
Claudio Canizares, an engineering professor and executive director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy at the University of Waterloo, says he is not fully convinced fusion will take over as the sole provider of electricity in the future.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a bit premature to say that, because batteries, solar, wind, renewables in general will improve their performance and cost as well. Our main concern at this point is we don害羞草研究所檛 want a continuance of greenhouse gas emissions. From that perspective, I think all of these technologies .125renewables, batteries, fission and fusion.375 have something to offer.害羞草研究所�
One fear is the nuclear fusion breakthrough will siphon off investments and detract attention from current renewable alternatives, just as those technologies are becoming more and more viable.
Late last year the International Energy Agency released a report with an accompanying article, headlined: 害羞草研究所淩enewable power害羞草研究所檚 growth is being turbocharged as countries seek to strengthen energy security害羞草研究所�.
The article highlighting the report害羞草研究所檚 findings stated, 害羞草研究所淓nergy security concerns caused by Russia害羞草研究所檚 invasion of Ukraine have motivated countries to increasingly turn to renewables such as solar and wind to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, whose prices have spiked dramatically. Global renewable power capacity is now expected to grow by 2,400 gigawatts (GW) over the 2022-2027 period, an amount equal to the entire power capacity of China today, according to Renewables 2022, the latest edition of the IEA害羞草研究所檚 annual report on the sector.害羞草研究所�
The international agency reported renewables are projected to provide more than 90 percent of global electricity expansion by 2027.
害羞草研究所淩enewables were already expanding quickly, but the global energy crisis has kicked them into an extraordinary new phase of even faster growth as countries seek to capitalise on their energy security benefits. The world is set to add as much renewable power in the next 5 years as it did in the previous 20 years,害羞草研究所� IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, said. 害羞草研究所淩enewables害羞草研究所� continued acceleration is critical to help keep the door open to limiting global warming to 1.5 掳C.害羞草研究所�
Experts in Canada are echoing the success of renewables, and warning governments and the private sector that now is not the time to reduce investments.
害羞草研究所淲e know investment in fusion has grown tremendously and we can surmise that the recent announcement will help amplify those investments,害羞草研究所� Ryan Katz-Rosene, a professor in the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa, says. 害羞草研究所淲e also know investment in renewables continues to grow year on year we know that renewables keep getting cheaper.害羞草研究所�
Some experts say pouring money into nuclear fusion research is not necessarily a bad thing.
害羞草研究所淚 suppose one could argue that the billions spent on fusion research and development are technically billions spent on a relatively untested energy technology which may not bring about benefits for decades, if ever,害羞草研究所� Katz-Rosene says. 害羞草研究所淏ut, the counterfactual is that arguably less investment in fusion today means a longer lag time before it will be commercially viable, which means that we could miss out on years of carbon-free dispatchable energy down the road, which could in theory be exactly what we need to help us reach net zero if we overshoot our two-degree carbon budget.害羞草研究所�
Canizares agrees. He said he is not concerned that this breakthrough will discourage investment in renewable energy because the timeframe that it will take before fusion is commercially viable, if ever, will likely be decades, not years.
According to an analysis published by Bloomberg Intelligence, there is currently $9.5 trillion in investments in renewables planned over the next 20 years. If just $1 trillion of this was taken and invested in fusion projects, nuclear fusion might be able to deliver electricity to the grid by 2030.
While the analysis by Bloomberg suggests taking money from existing renewable investments, Katz-Rosene says he is not overly worried this will detract from the broader impact of investments in renewables because it is still using the pool of available money to eliminate carbon energy. Stopping fossil fuel investments, he says, which are the biggest driver of our current emissions problem, is the key.
Katz-Rosene says the type of investor in the renewable energy sector is not the same kind of investor putting money into research and experiments into fusion.
害羞草研究所�.125Fusion.375 is a pretty risky investment in the sense that many investors may not ever see returns. If you want to invest in low carbon energy systems that you know are possible and will likely see returns in the short term, you wouldn害羞草研究所檛 invest in fusion.害羞草研究所�
Successful renewables and battery and storage technologies have shown they can generate a healthy return on investment.
Canizares said his position, as an academic, is to consider all viable options.
害羞草研究所淵ou have to be neutral about this and think, `what is the best option on energy mixing?害羞草研究所澓π卟菅芯克鶛 He stresses the importance of remembering there are positives and negatives to all forms of energy generation.
Electric vehicles (EVs), for example, rely on lithium-ion batteries that contain precious minerals that require proper disposal. EVs do far less harm to the environment than vehicles with internal combustion engines that rely on gas or diesel, but as EVs become more popular, responsible battery disposal will become even more important. Canizares says these are good problems, ones that ultimately mean we are ridding the atmosphere of carbon through commitments to prevent climate chaos.
All the experts stressed that ending the use of fossil fuels is the main priority.
害羞草研究所淭o move away from fossil fuels, we need to move on to the next thing,害羞草研究所� Bernard says. 害羞草研究所淎nd right now that is renewables.害羞草研究所�
He highlights the importance of relying on technologies we can control. We have full control over solar and wind power, but not over fusion technologies. Bernard said he recognizes wind and solar cannot provide power all the time, they are intermittent, and fusion may be a solution that works alongside other proven technologies.
In 2021, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act was passed, committing the country to net-zero emissions by 2050. With only 27 years to reach this goal, it is unclear if fusion will be commercially viable in time to help meet the ambitious target.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 unlikely that fusion is going to play a role in our transition to a carbon neutral society,害羞草研究所� Katz-Rosene says. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e likely going to have to find a way to go carbon neutral without fusion.害羞草研究所�
Despite the exciting potential of fusion and the Star Trek future it promises to shape, many experts agree害羞草研究所攔enewables have to be our priority. Continued investments and development of these alternative energies is the only viable way toward a clean electricity grid, to prevent the type of planetary harm that is irreversible.
害羞草研究所淚 think we should be looking at renewables as we are building a system that is reliable, clean and affordable,害羞草研究所� Bernard says. 害羞草研究所淭here is no magic solution.害羞草研究所�
READ ALSO:
Like us on and follow us on .
