Prospects for nuclear fusion as a sustainable energy source

In a most profound sense, mankind's quality of life depends on an acceptable response to the continually rising demand for energy. To be able to satisfy our future energy needs, we therefore have to invest in all viable energy options, compatible with our environment. Energy quality criteria will become most important in the future: energy production must be not only economically, but also environmentally and societally acceptable. The number of conceivable non-fossil candidates which in the long-term could substantially contribute to base load electricity generation is very limited: renewables, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Fusion is the least developed of the three but it holds the promise of being a safe, inexhaustible and rather clean energy production method. As such it could become the best compromise between nature and the energy needs of mankind. The development of nuclear fusion as an energy source is one of the most complex scientific and technical tasks ever undertaken for non-military purposes and will still span several human generations. Great progress has been made in magnetic fusion in the last decades. Since the start of controlled fusion research, a 10 million-fold improvement in the fusion triple product (density times temperature times confinement time) has been obtained verging to reactor conditions. Fusion research entered a new era in 2005 with the international agreement on the construction site of ITER at Cadarache (close to Aix-en-Provence in France). Construction has started in 2009. There should be no illusions about the technical difficulty or the time required bringing even the D-T reaction to a commercially viable system. However, there is no indication up to now to doubt that fusion could be made practical and successful. History has repeatedly proven that major technological projects (not hampered by scientific limits) have finally reached a breakthrough. Given the potential advantages of nuclear fusion compared to the risks and dangers of all other alternatives for base load electricity generation and given its potential contribution to long-term sustainable world development, it is our duty towards future generations to continue the fusion effort without delay and with full commitment