In the long term, fission generates waste that will be radioactive for centuries to come. Sure, the people may decide to hide it underground, but building tunnels deep beneath the earth s surface costs quite a bit of money. The current plan for future energy sources is unviable because no one can make an accurate prediction how long oil and gas reserves will last and because long term use of oil, gas, and nuclear fission devastates the environment. To forestall an energy shortage and to protect the environment, the United States and other industrialized nations need to make alternate sources of energy feasible. This new source should be plentiful and environmentally benign.
Thermonuclear fusion has few if any negative side effects.
To avert a future energy crisis and protect the environment, Congress should increase funding for fusion research. Before explaining the proposal specifics, a basic understanding of fusion is helpful. The potential output of energy, however, is more than enough to make fusion worthwhile. Increasing funding for fusion research will make it economically effective sooner. Making 2020 the decade of commercial operation instead of 2040 greatly enhances the chance that industrialized nations will be prepared if and when oil and gas reserves run out.