Back at the energy ranch.

I have posted on the discoveries of gas and oil in the Eastern Mediterranean. As encouraging as this news is (if you are an Israeli), there are caveats. The oil lies below a kilometer and half of water. That means using special techniques (like robotic equipment) to get to the oil. Then there is the possibility of disasters (remember BP?). I am sure that Israel has its own environmentalist wacoes, who are always protesting progress; especially carbon-based fuels. And, lets not forget, Israel is surrounded by Arab nations who want the country destroyed. It is easier to get gas from the depths, because if there is a leak it will dissipate. Getting oil up from that deep is something else.

That is why my ears perked up when I read about a fusion breakthrough. A lawrenceville Plasma Physics Inc announced that it was able to produce a temperature of 1.8B degrees centigrade, topping the previous record of 1.1B degrees C. Such a temperature allows aneutronic fusion of protons to helium and giving up energy in the process. How close does that bring fusion? Not very. The density of plasma being used must be increased to get a machine  that produces more energy than the process requires.It's a long way till there.