Fusion reactors are the Next Big Thing in green energy

Wind and solar power projects have seen major gains in the past few years as the world looks for cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels. In the search for green energy, many other ideas have been proffered, including wave power and algae fuel, two of the more novel options. But for many scientists and researchers, the Next Big Revolution in clean energy is nuclear fusion. It’s simple, really – just reproduce the conditions of the sun, apply the heat to atoms of light to turn them into plasma, and then keep them suspended without escaping through the use of a 1,000-ton electromagnet! OK, that actually, that sounds fairly difficult. But doable, perhaps, now that a 35-nation International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project based in France is giving it a shot. While the prospects for actual, widespread clean fusion energy by the end of the century are still uncertain, project organizers believe they will have a functioning fusion energy reactor by 2019. Big money and bigger stakes are now invested in finding energy alternatives, which means more big green ideas are a sure bet.