HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-06-07, Page 26•
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Page 26
Times -Advocate, June 7, 1989
Regular readers of this column are
aware of my support for nuclear
power.
When I read about those two sci-
entists who supposedly had discov-
ered cold fusion, I was ecstatic.
Now, it appears my enthusiasm
was a trifle premature.
Stanley Pons and Martin Fleisch-
mann, the two chemists who
shocked the scientific world with
their announcement, have not been
branded as fakers blit their experi-
ments have been pooh-poohed by
their peers.
They said they obtained fusion
energy by passing an electric cur-
rent between a rod of palladium and
a coil of platinum in heavy water.
They still have some supporters but
no one else has been able to dupli-
cate the claims of the originators.
Nuclear fusion, as I understand it,
is quite different from nuclear fis-
sion. Fission has drastic garbage ef-
fects. The plants are huge and dan-
gerous to build and maintain. And
costly. But the energy, after it is
manufactured, is worth the trouble.
Nuclear fusion, on the other hand,
could be unlimited, clean and inex-
pensive if the eggheads can find the
secret of unlocking it.
The announcement by Pons and
Fleischmann stirred up a great fu-
rore for a few days. I almost bought
stock in a palladium mine. Ontario
Hydro sold 600 kilograms of heavy
water at about $350 kilogram to
universities and industries who
wanted the stuff for experiments.
Canada, by the way, is in the
forefront of fusion technology
through a cooperative venture of
public and private organizations
called the Canadian Fusion Fuels
Technology Project. This group
was launched in 1982 to undertake
research into fusion fuels and robot-
ics and to coordinate the application
of fusion technologies with interna-
tional fusion programs.
This CFFTP blanket organization
receives support from universities,
industries, Ontario Hydro and
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.
Some months ago I wrote a column
which was titled Whatever Hap-
pened to Nuclear Fusion?
I got a report from Fusion Cana-
da, an invitation to a meeting, a
wonderfully -illustrated, full-color
magaiine called Fusion Energy,
what Canada can do, and two --
count 'em, two -- annual reports for
1987-88 from the Canadian Fusion
fuels Technology Project.
I mean, these people are serious.
There was a fascinating story on
the impact fusion power will have
if it is ever perfected. I related in
Dennis Mock
gets promotion
TORONTO - Dennis Mock, pro-
fessor and senior administrator at
Ryerson Institute for 18 years, has
been appointed the Institute's vice-
president academic for a five-year
term beginning July 1, 1989.
Dr. Mock has served as Ryerson's
registrar for the past year, following
eight years as chair of the Depart-
ment of Geography -and the School
of Applied Geography. He, has
been extensively involved in aca-
demic development at Ryerson,
chairing a number of committees of
both academic council and the facul-
ty association.
He received his BA with first
class honours and the gold medal
for geography from the University
of Western Ontario in 1967 and
completed his MA and PhD at the
University of Toronto.
He has been a member of the pro-
vincial council and the national edu-
cation committee of the Canadian
Association of Geographers and in
1987 he received the Association's
distinguished service award and also
served for four years as the represen-
tative of the Council of Ontario
Universities on the Ontario Schools
Intermediate and Senior (OSIS) ge-
ography curriculum project.
Dennis Mock is a native of Hen-
sall and a graduate of South Huron
High School in Exeter.
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graphic terms the annual fuel re-
quirements for a 1,000 megawatt
electrical plant. if coal-fired, such a
plant would require 2.1 million
tonnes of coal, 10 million barrels
of oil, 150 tonnes of uranium for a
nuclear fission plant.But the fuel
for a nuclear fusion plant produc-
ing the same 1,000 megawatts
could be carried in a half -ton pick
up truck.
Amazing, isn't it?
Little doubt exists in the scien-
tific community that when fusion
energy becomes a reality it will be
one of the greatest scientific and
technological achievements of
.mankind. it is the same energy that
powers the sun and the stars.
Control of this ' s wer is the goal
of experiments being carried out : y
the Canadian Fusion Fuels Tech-
nology Project. When it happens,
Canada will be in the front ranks
because of the vast experiepce we
have had in nuclear fission.
Our nuclear power plants are the
safest in the world.
They will be much safer when
the fusion breakthrough comes.
Learn Horsemanship - A number of grade seven and eight students of South Huron public
attended a mini -workshop Monday at Adriaan Brand's farm, north of Crediton, Monday. Terri
Exeter Public School is in the saddle while the other students look on.
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inverter
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Hensall 262-3002
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