Reply #6: It puts a knot in the pit of my stomach

[GliderGuider]

To hear you refer to these as "nonfantasy" systems. It emphasizes how close to the edge we are when our only hope for technical salvation is in "solutions" with such low levels of readiness.

I've been crucified as a Grinch before for saying this, but I really hope we don't achieve cheap fusion. As a species our track record of wisdom is so very poor. Would we be more circumspect with fusion than we've been with other high-density energy sources? The thought of humanity in possession of such a potentially planet-altering form of energy makes me tremble for the remaining species on the Earth. I think the only damage such a development would redress is CO2 emissions, and that's far from the only devastation our high-energy civilization has wreaked on the world.