The planet has warmed by roughly 1.2 C, but if we are to limit that to 1.5 C by the end of the century, which is the ambitious goal set at the 2015 Paris climate accord, it could mean fewer climate-related disasters. We are already seeing this happening, and the more the planet warms, the worse these disasters will become. As a result, there will be an increase in floods, droughts, rising sea levels and more. Why is nuclear fusion important?Įarth is facing a climate crisis caused by centuries of burning fossil fuels. The International Atomic Energy Agency explains that while hydrogen bombs do use fusion reactions, a second fission bomb is needed to detonate it. With nuclear fusion, there is also no chance of a nuclear meltdown as there is with fission, and nuclear fusion cannot be used to make nuclear weapons. ![]() Unlike nuclear reactors, the process doesn't result in byproducts like the spent rods found in nuclear power plants. Instead, nuclear reactors generate energy by separating heavy atoms.Īs well, fusion produces clean energy. But those reactors operate using nuclear fission.įission is the exact opposite of fusion, which forces atoms together. ![]() When most people think about nuclear energy, they likely think about the nuclear reactors we have today. ![]() How is it different from nuclear power we already use? However, it's important to note that 300 megajoules of traditional energy - often referred to as "from the wall" energy - were needed to fire the lasers during the experiment, according to Mark Herrmann, program director for weapon physics and design at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. While the energy produced was small - about three megajoules, or enough to power a light bulb - it marks a historic first in nuclear fusion energy because the lasers used just over two megajoules to fire into the target.
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