Still adjusting, let me know what you think.
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A Case for Fusion:
The Problem:
We need to replace fossil fuels. We do have fuels left. But, go ahead 21 years and everything looks different [8, 9, 23]. Many nations will be out of oil and gas. They are going to compete for what is left. You could be alive then. Clearly, no one can predict the future. But when these fuels are gone, they will leave a big hole. About eighty percent of worlds’ energy comes from fossil fuels [24]. Replacing with renewables will be a backbreaking task. Al Gore has made a serious argument that it can be done, particularly using geothermal [30]. This needs to happen now - and it will not be easy, especially considering the scale [21, 26, 27, 28, 29]. Fusion crushes other options, by a huge margin.
Rewiring Our World:
Getting off fossil fuels is going to be very hard. Our civilization is designed for it. Practically every car, plane, train, or generator uses combustion. Companies, governments and organizations are designed around this fuel. More fundamentally - people just do not understand alternatives. Fossil fuels are as intertwined with society, as the air we breathe.
Economic Forces Are Required:
Strong forces will be needed; needed to wrench us from fossil fuels. These could be political, environmental or economic. Political forces have been pushed by Thomas Friedman [2]. He argues we need a “carbon tax”. A tax that makes a market for renewables. It is a great plan – but it has not worked. Today, 83 percent of nations have no carbon tax [3, 4, 5]. The biggest emitters US and China have no laws enacted. The actual tax has little effect. The firms that see it, pay, and continue working. Political will is not enough to permanently rewire the world. It may work in some countries, but not everywhere. It may work eventually, but not fast enough. It may work for periods, but not forever; all because fossil fuels are so cheap. An environmental force could also break our addiction. We burn fossil fuels and it heats the planet. This creates havoc, forcing us to stop. This is already happening. Climate change is real [10]. The burning of fossil fuels is a major cause of it [6]. But, we have not stopped yet. Hopefully, we do not reach the bitter end, to finally get the changes we need.
Cheap, Wins:
To stop climate change, someone needs to get obnoxiously rich. Money drives much of this world. The cheapest option normally wins. Alternatives may work for a while; but the incentive is always towards cheap. This is true in rubles, euros or pesos. It has been true over time. Realize, that since the dawn of the industrial age, fossil fuels have always won because of price. In the 250 years, many governments, eras and markets have come and gone but fossil fuels have remained. Price; is the only thing that can dislodge them.