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From: alien@cpoint.UUCP (Alien Wells)
Newsgroups: sci.research,sci.space,sci.environment,misc.headlines,sci.misc
Subject: Re: Success with cold fusion reported
Message-ID: <2183@cpoint.UUCP>
Date: 29 Mar 89 16:24:01 GMT
References: <18213@glacier.STANFORD.EDU> <3451@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu> <77762DBH106@PSUVM> <1989Mar28.041030.2291@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: alien@cpoint.UUCP (Alien Wells)
Organization: Clearpoint Research Corp., Hopkinton Mass.
Lines: 39

In article <1989Mar28.041030.2291@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu> kocic@gpu.utcs.UUCP (Miroslav Kocic) writes:
>
>The discussion in this newsgroup has so far been about the authenticity of the
>Utah breakthrough, but I have two different concerns.  First, what if fusion
>turns out to create problems we don't foresee?  We didn't foresee radioactive
>waste or meltdowns back when fission was at this stage, and, if history teaches
>anything, it teaches that every benefit has a proportional price.  Second, what
>if cold fusion becomes the crack-cocaine of energy production?  I can imagine
>a thousand fanatics in 750 terrorist cells making an H-bomb in their kitchen.

	1) The problems with fission WERE forseen at this stage with fission.
In fact, one of the two original designs submitted to the government when it
requested proposals for fission power plants could not melt down (similar to
most US university reactors).  The US govt made a decision that meltdowns
were unlikely enough that they were not an issue, and required all utilities
to use light water reactors instead.  When the utilities objected (utilities
are, after all, extremely conservative) the US govt assumed all liabilities
from a catastrophic meltdown.  Of course, they recently decided that was
unfair and capped what the govt will pay ... In addition, radioactive waste
was considered a problem immediately.  Again, utilities were unwilling to
come to the table until the US govt assumed all responsibility for waste
disposal.  Of course, the govt did nothing ...

	2) History does not teach us that everything has a proportional 
price, it teaches us that people will use something until its price is as
much as the benefit.  Before cars, there were serious concerns that horse
waste (manure) was destroying public health and would destroy cities as
viable entities.  Cars pushed transportation down to the middle and lower
classes and saved cities until the price got to the break-even point.

	3) You cannot make an H-bomb with catalized fusion of the type 
described.  That is as silly as saying you can make an atom bomb from
radioactive watch dials.

-- 
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