In December 2021, scientists at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) were able to replicate the immense power of the Sun for 5 seconds. This generated 16.4 kilowatts (kW), which is enough energy to power 2,700 homes, while also breaking the previous record from the same institution that created 5.2 kW. Although it required a lot of energy to recreate, this achievement represents a greener future for the debate of climate change, alternative energy sources, and less common usage of fossil fuels. By bringing the power of the universe’s natural stars, humans may be able to enjoy low-carbon electricity for centuries to come.

According to the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), humans are presently too reliant on fossil fuels, which account for nearly 70 percent of all energy generated. Moreover, as years of research by the EIA has shown, fossil fuels greatly contribute to the planet’s climate change because of their carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, which destroy the atmosphere and weaken Earth’s protection against the Sun. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) expects that if the scientific community fails to find greener solutions, then the planet is doomed to a raise in water levels, which in turn will create harsh weather events that will make life on Earth worse.

As a result, scientists have come up with alternative sources of energy. One example is nuclear energy, which is extremely efficient but leaves radioactive waste and creates problems including the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. This is where nuclear fusion comes in. Unlike nuclear fission, where a nucleus is split in half to release vast amounts of energy and radioactive waste, nuclear fusion combines the simplest element on this planet - hydrogen gas and its isotopes - to produce high energy. Since hydrogen is commonly found on Earth, powering a “sun” this way promises limitless power and little to no waste.

Hydrogen can also be credited for having zero emission as it leaves no carbon footprint. It only leaves water as a byproduct, and fusion only leaves helium gas, which can be safely released to the environment without causing any harm. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, hydrogen is very abundant on Earth, so the element can be easily extracted through seawater and crust. Fusion power plants are safe from big meltdowns as presented by other types of energy plants, so its power reliability and safety make it a great choice as an alternative source of energy.

However, a lot more research is needed for harvesting nuclear fusion. One problem is that recreating such high temperatures for long periods of time requires expensive coolants. There is also a bigger need for energy density, so powering a fusion plant can be very costly to taxpayers and drains a lot of the initial power and energy needed. Thus, its practical energy results are presently unrealistic and need more investment and time to reach its ultimate goal of replacing fossil fuels.

Nuclear fusion is, at the moment, the cleanest energy source that can slowly replace other alternative sources of energy that still have to rely on materials that harm the environment. Although it requires more research and poses problems including costly coolants and parasitic drains of power, it promises high energy yields, inexhaustible fuel sources, and almost zero waste if properly maintained. Thus, more investment and research into fusion will lead to a greener future where mankind can forget its common usage of fossil fuels, which is a dark history that can potentially snowball into one of the worst catalysts for climate change.