Mary Yugo <[email protected]> wrote:
> That is the ultimate in silliness. If anyone develops a robust example of > cold fusion/LENR power generation, it will sell world wide better than > hotcakes with strawberry syrup and whipped cream on top ever did. NOTHING > -- not regulation, oil interests, governments, or internet critics will be > able to slow it much less stop its development. > Probably, but I am certain they will try to stop it. People opposed to progress have tried to stop every innovation in history, no matter how beneficial. This is an iron law of human behavior. The dairy industry managed to prevent pasteurization in New York State from 1865 until 1917, killing hundreds of thousands of babies. Doctors opposed to Semmelweis delayed the introduction of disinfection for decades, killing millions. Even today, doctors in the US kill hundreds of thousands of patients every year because they do not bother to wash their hands or sterilize properly. They are not ignorant. They are lazy, unprofessional and uncaring, plus they do not fear malpractice suits as much as they should. People fought against the introduction of seatbelts in automobiles right until the 1960s, even though it was obvious from 1900 on that seatbelts would save lives. At this moment, the coal industry is pulling out the stops to destroy the wind power industry. They are trying to get the Congress to pass laws that would make it illegal to use wind power in the US, and to have all existing towers taken down. They are doing this ostensibly to protect birds. There is no chance this legislation will pass, but Representatives who are bought and paid for by Big Coal have to show their masters that they are doing the best they can. If cold fusion is introduced they will use similar tactics against it. So will oil, fission and the wind industry, obviously. They will take out full-page ads trying to frighten people into thinking that cold fusion will be dangerous. They will pay huge bribes to members of Congress. They will do whatever they can -- and people who have billions of dollars can do quite a lot. See: Wall Street, 2008 crash, too big to fail. Why wouldn't EVERYONE demand and buy a cheap, safe, constant, long > lasting source of heat which requires almost no fuel?! > Don't be ridiculous. Do you think OPEC and Big Coal will be thrilled? You think they will roll over and play dead? They will demand that it be banned. Cold fusion was suppressed and nearly destroyed by a handful of academic hacks, the plasma fusion researchers, and people like you. It will remain vulnerable for a while. After cold fusion manufacturing companies gather a war chest of several hundred million dollars they will begin purchasing their own Representatives in Congress. Then it will be smooth sailing. It is just a matter of paying a bigger bribe. This is how US industry has worked since 1865, and the building of the transcontinental railroad. - Jed
