Fusion Later/Fusion Now: People Coming Together for Climate Solutions
February 15, 2022
The use of fire for energy emerged sometime around 200,000 years ago. Maybe for cooking, for warmth, light, heat, or defense, we don’t really know exactly why it began, but that seismic innovation started the human endeavor of exploring energy.
The continued efforts by scientific communities, futurists, universities, governments, and businesses to push into the unknown in order to grow knowledge and the human endeavor are commendable. When it comes to human production of energy we have come a long way. Beginning with that evidence of fire energy being used about 200,000 years ago then moving incrementally through global innovations including solar, water wheels, wind, the burning of wood, coal, oil, gas, nuclear fission. The more recent innovations in clean energy technologies are inspiring and helpful in moving toward a thriving future as we face a disrupted climate. Recently nuclear fusion https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60312633 has taken a huge step forward.
The UK-Based JET Laboratory has been working on nuclear fusion energy technology for decades. The successful atomic process squeezes together the atoms Deuterium and Tritium, producing energy for five seconds. This innovation has the potential to create low-carbon, low-radiation energy sometime in the future. JET has taken another step toward a future technology that would offer a dramatic shift in clean energy production.
It is an important step but it is estimated that it will not help our current climate situation for another 30 years. We cannot wait for any one perfect technological solution. While innovations like fusion-based energy-mature, we need another kind of fusion. Human Fusion.
We are called to come together in this critical time. Human fusion partnerships among faith communities, nonprofits, health organizations, businesses, schools and social justice organizations are powerful tools of innovation that we can utilize right now.
Our climate and therefore our neighbors and ecosystems are suffering because of several complex factors with the burning of fossil fuels being at the top of the list. A complex problem invites a variety of solutions. You can find a few to do today with Blessed Tomorrow Climate Action Guides https://blessedtomorrow.org/resources/ to engage in the movement toward solutions.
We need a fusion of organizations and people to come together to support a robust climate policy at all levels of government. Faith communities have the potential to be at the heart of this fusion. With many gifts and one Spirit, we have the capacity to creatively work together for the common good of creation and communities. As you seek to connect with others, check out the upcoming Eco-Justice Gathering or the Faith and Climate Directory created by Blessed Tomorrow and Interfaith Power and Light to find local and national collaborators.
