Timing annoucement/funding to election?

Discuss funding sources for polywell research, including the non-profit EMC2 Fusion Development Corporation, as well as any other relevant research efforts.

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JohnP
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Timing annoucement/funding to election?

Post by JohnP »

Just a stray thought. Back in the 80's when plans were drawn up to build the multibillion dollar Superconducting Supercollider (SSC), a tug of war developed over which state was going to get it (Illinois, with Fermilab, or Texas). The day after George H.W. Bush was elected, it was announced that Texas would get the SSC.

Now, the level of funding for the next stage of Polywell is nowhere near the Billion mark, so national politics may be irrelevant. But I'm wondering if the Navy is looking for clearer politics before they decide.

Tom Ligon
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Post by Tom Ligon »

Dr. Bussard was a key player in the funding of the AEC/DOE fusion research program that gave us tokamaks, and told me all about the process of sticking pins in maps to work out political support for a multi-billion dollar program. Never underestimate the problems in this arena. The Polywell approach has, thus far, been too small an amount to generate that kind of pressure.

At the moment, we have a lame duck administration and no clear winner in the election. Both candidates probably know about the program (MSimon seems quite sure McCain's side is aware of it), but neither has made any policy announcements on the Polywell specifically, nor should they without the peer-reviewed results. Thus, the timing right now is a little too early for a very large committment of funds.

But I don't think that necessarily will hold things up for the moment. If the results are good, a relatively modest shot of go-ahead funding, within the authority of people below cabinet level, should be able to not just keep the project alive, but allow it to advance modestly.

There will, one way or another, be new management running the country in January, and both candidates have expressed a keen interest in new sources of energy. While there are clear choices between them, I'm personally quite pleased with the choices this year. Compared to past elections, I'm convinced we've got a better class of candidates than I've seen in a very long time. Neither one is an idiot (don't take from this that I favor them equally). I consider that a considerable improvement over a choice between two idiots, something I've seen in the past.

I'm in a cheery mood.

DKelley
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Post by DKelley »

Well, Tom, not to be a negative-nelly, but I could also envision a situation where someone in Congress puts together a bill to fund Polywell research for the foreseeable future then one of the 2 scenarios takes place. Either the Republicans will add an earmark to this bill requiring that an oil rig be placed in the backyard of every liberal or the Democrats will add an earmark that a windmill should be place in the backyard of every conservative ... and funding would be stalled indefinitely until another country leap-frogs us to do it themselves.

LONG LIVE BICKERING, BACKSTABBING AND DIVISIVENESS!!!
"Just because you can," doesn't mean "you should."

Josephmc
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Post by Josephmc »

Dear All,
I strongly recommend that the BFR community avoid any political involvement at all. There are many who will lose if this works out. We should not underestimate what efforts they will take to stop it. Political intervention will at best be nonproductive and at worst be a show stopper due to special interests. As far as that goes, we should also be cautious about environmentalists. Many of them are actually anti-people and will see this as something that empowers people to advance and expand to all corners of the Earth. The best hope of success is private investment. In this day and age there is sufficient private wealth to fund this project. That is the direction we should go.
Josephmc

jormungandr
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Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:42 pm

Post by jormungandr »

Josephmc wrote:Dear All,
I strongly recommend that the BFR community avoid any political involvement at all. There are many who will lose if this works out. We should not underestimate what efforts they will take to stop it. Political intervention will at best be nonproductive and at worst be a show stopper due to special interests. As far as that goes, we should also be cautious about environmentalists. Many of them are actually anti-people and will see this as something that empowers people to advance and expand to all corners of the Earth. The best hope of success is private investment. In this day and age there is sufficient private wealth to fund this project. That is the direction we should go.
Josephmc
Well if worst comes to worst I am sure they could come to Canada if they chose. Here in Alberta, a supposedly rich and high-tech province over half our power comes from coal so there'd be plenty of support!

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