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If Climate Change Is a Problem Then Lunar Helium-3 Fueled Fusion Is the Solution (examiner.com)

Posted by timothy on from the easier-said-than-done dept.

MarkWhittington writes: With the Paris Climate Conference apparently ending in failure and experts such as Matt Ridley suggesting that, in any case, global warming is not a cause for immediate concern, the private sector is casting about to fund "green" energy solutions. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are starting a renewable energy research and development fund, for example. The Chicago Tribune pointed to a possible area of investment that Gates and Zuckerberg might look into if they would like to get out of the solar and wind box that many green energy enthusiasts find themselves in. The key to evolving from a fossil fuel energy economy, perhaps, is fusion energy powered by helium-3 from the moon.

6 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Lunatic by penguinoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like a lunatic's solution

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    1. Re:Lunatic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      "3He isn't even a first-generation fusion fuel, so until we have any fusion at all, it's not worth spending a single penny on. Unless you want exceptionally light party balloons, I suppose."
      Meh just use hydrogen, then light the birthday candles.

  2. Re:Wouldn't it be a little cheaper to just, by ClickOnThis · · Score: 5, Funny

    harvest antimatter from the van allen belts? I mean if your going to go down the h3 route, just jump the gun and go straight to antimatter.

    Fuck it, we're going to h5.

    --
    If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
  3. Re:"experts such as Matt Ridley"????? by jcr · · Score: 1, Funny

    Is having an incontinent detractor supposed to convince us that Ridley is wrong about something?

    -jcr

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    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  4. Re:Oh, for... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, golly, as long as we can discount the decades of research, engineering, and implementation that would be required to (a) establish a huge industrial presence on the Moon, (b) extract helium-3 in bulk from the lunar crust, (c) transport that He3 in bulk to Earth's surface, and (d) successfully fuse that He3 on an industrial scale to produce power, why don't we hedge our bets with giant space-constructed solar shades and thorough terraforming of Mars?

    Plus, you think the Nazis on the moon are just gonna hand over all that moon helium?

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  5. Re:Oh, for... by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Funny

    The problem with shades for the Earth is that by reducing the sunlight that hits the Earth you also reduce the amount of photosynthesis that occurs.

    An obvious solution would be to only shade the Earth at night.