Nuclear fusion. The dubious project costing billions

Nuclear fusion as the energy supply of our future is obviously not as clean, secure, and unproblematical now as it is often praised. In the October issue of 1980 of Bild der Wissenschaft Hartmut Zwicker from the Institut fuer Plasmaforschung of Stuttgart University had presented the concepts and the present standard of fusion research. Parallel to his article Jochen Benecke from the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik in Munich had fromulated twelve critical questions. In the March issue Rudolf Wienecke, director of the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik at Garching had commented upon them. In the same issue Walter Seifritz from the Eidgenoessisches Institut fuer Reaktorforschung had asked: 'Do we need fusion at all.' Politicians, members of the Committee for Research and Technology at the Bundestag, are getting a heaving in this issue. A central thesis: If we do not discuss nuclear fusion now we shall soon have the slogan 'Nuclear fusion, no thanks.' (orig.)