In today’s newsletter: US scientists this week announced progress on a potentially revolutionary source of renewable energy. But there’s still a way to go
Good morning. You may know nuclear fusion as the power source for Iron Man’s suit, or the basis of the Mr Fusion Home Energy Reactor that powers the, er, flux capacitor in Back to the Future. (If so, please stop reading, this is not a newsletter for nerds.) Yesterday, after the news was initially reported by the Financial Times, Joe Biden’s energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, confirmed a scientific breakthrough at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California that’s a very long way from a superhero exoskeleton or a souped-up DeLorean: for the first time, a fusion reaction has produced more energy than it takes in.
Which sounds miles better than a time machine, to be honest. Granholm called it “one of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century”. In theory, nuclear fusion reactors could one day be a plentiful source of power without any associated carbon emissions or radioactive waste. Climate crisis solved, and we can all get back to obsessing over Harry and Meghan on Netflix instead.
Asylum | Rishi Sunak has insisted he can clear a backlog of nearly 100,000 asylum claims by the end of next year as part of a five-point plan that includes changes to the law that will criminalise and then remove tens of thousands of people who claimed asylum after travelling to the UK by small boats.
Strikes | The standoff between UK ministers, bosses and unions over pay showed no sign of reaching resolution on the first day of four weeks of planned industrial action. Rishi Sunak said that the government would not shift its position on pay ahead of another day of disrupted trains on Wednesday.
Strep A | The cost of antibiotics used to strep A have risen more than tenfold in the UK in recent weeks, pharmacists have said, with many facing continued difficulties in sourcing supplies. Since mid-September there had been 60 deaths from invasive strep A infections in England, including 13 children.
Plastics | Single-use plastic items including cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups are reportedly to be banned in England by the UK government after a consultation. Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, is poised to unveil plans to phase out the items and replace them with biodegradable alternatives.
Media | Harry & Meghan, Netflix’s documentary series about Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife, racked up more viewing time on the streaming service than any other documentary during its first week, the company said. More than 28m households watched at least part of the series.
(SOURCE) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/14/first-edition-nuclear-fusion