The March, 2010 issue of Scientific American published a sobering article by Michael Moyer, entitled "Fusion's False Dawn." In this excellent article, Moyer points out in great detail, the daunting technological problems with ever bringing large scale commercial fusion power generation online. With the age of fossil fuel power generation rapidly drawing to a close, the need for environmentally safe, efficient, and economical power generation is more vital than ever.
There are promising existing, off the shelf alternative power generation technologies such as solar and wind, as well as relatively safe and clean nuclear fission power generation technology, but all these technologies are essentially outdated 19th and 20th century technologies. There was some initial excitement over the possibility of cold fusion, but that technology has yet to be generally confirmed and practically realized. What is truly needed, is new technology for the 21st century and beyond.
As Dr. Jack Sarfatti pointed out in his recent radio interview with George Knapp on Coast to Coast, we have voluminous evidence that Earth has been, and continues to be visited by technologically advanced beings not from this planet. So, obviously, someone has figured out how to generate the kinds of extraordinary energy needed to traverse the vast distances of interstellar space. Such advanced technology would obviously have huge ramifications for power generation here on Earth. That's why it is so vital that mainstream science and national policy makers really start thinking outside the box, and devote much more material and human resources towards exotic propulsion research.
Kim Burrafato, a.k.a. Lensman