Arthur C. Clarke on #LENR from 1993 and his Letter to Al Gore …

This is sort of old news but new to me so I’d like to share it. In 1993 Arthur C Clarke had these insights about the future of fossil fuels and LENR.

The next scenario: CF can be scaled up to moderate levels—say 100-1000 kilowatts. Even that could be revolutionary, if cheap and safe units can be manufactured. It would make possible the completely self-contained home that Buckminster Fuller envisaged, because the electric grid would no longer be necessary for domestic distribution. And it would be the end of the gasfueled car—none too soon . . . Automobiles could, quite literally, run on water—though perhaps only heavy water!

 

The third possibility is that there are no upper limits: in that case, the Age of Fossil Fuels has ended. So has the Age of CO2 buildup, acid rain, and air pollution. Twenty years ago, when OPEC quadrupled oil prices, I remarked, “The age of cheap power is over—the age of free power is still fifty years ahead.” I may have been slightly too pessimistic . . .

Unfortunately he was not as pessimistic as he thought at the time, but probably SPOT ON. Real “free” energy is still a couple of years ahead but we’re getting there.

Finally I’d qoute the letter sent to Al Gore in 1993.

18 March 1993

Dear Mr. Gore,

COLD FUSION (?)

I am happy to learn that you are being briefed on the above—perhaps misnamed—subject, as it is impossible to imagine anything of greater potential importance from both the economic and geopolitical points of view.

After initial skepticism, I have now seen so many positive reports from highly respected organizations (e.g. NTT—which is already marketing experimental kits in Japan!—ONR, U.S. Army Research Office, SRI, MIT) that there can be no further doubt that excess energy is being produced by some previously unknown process, not essentially nuclear. I am sure that your staff has already seen much of this material, and I also refer you to Representative Swett’s statement in the Congressional Record for 16 February, 1993.

Whatever the source of the energy, which I am sure will be elucidated in the fairly near future, the sixtyfour trillion dollar question is: (1) is this merely a laboratory curiosity of no practical importance, or (2) can it be scaled up for industrial and perhaps even domestic use?

If Number (2) is correct, the consequences are immeasurable. It would mean essentially the end of the “Fossil Fuel Age” and an era of cheap, clean power. The environmental benefits would be overwhelming; at the very least, concern with CO2 build-up and acid rain would vanish.

Clearly, no effort should be spared to resolve this matter speedily, by supporting scientists who are obtaining results (and, perhaps, discouraging those who have been obstructing them). One witness you might call is my friend, Dr. George Keyworth II, President Reagan’s Science Advisor and an expert on fusion physics, who remarked in a recent letter to me: “The conventional path we’ve been pursuing is trying to build a bridge across the seas instead of inventing a boat.” Perhaps “cold fusion” may give us the lifeboats Spaceship Earth so badly needs!

Respectfully,

Arthur C. Clarke

Obviously Al Gore should know about LENR since … long, but for unclear reasons have chosen to ignored it.  Even in his best selling 2013 book “The Future” the possibilities of LENR was not mentioned at all. Needless to say the book is filled with environmental threats of every kind imaginable …

Actually this only fuels my suscpision that the “greens” are among the biggest enemies of LENR for reason that … is not entirely aligned with their marketing. The tax financed (SR) Swedish Public Radio (Ulrika Björksten et al) comes to mind …