Considerations of the Social Impact of Fusion Power

摘要

For the purpose of evaluating the social impact of fusion power systems, we propose four ideal types of energy resource/technology. These are considered in the framework of an interactive systems diagram that allow relevant social science theory and data to influence the analy¬sis of the directions and magnitude of influence and feedback among relevant factors. There is an explicit, if sketchy, attempt to make the assumptions of the study open to both theoreti¬cal and empirical criticism. Since both the social situation and the non-social characteristics of the alternative future technologies impacting upon the situation in the post-2000 period are both largely unknown, the analysis is in large part an exposition of if then cases. Therefore we are concerned with the exposition of a methodology that might become increasingly useful as the technological facts and the non-technological situation after the turn of the century are approached in time. With these caveats, we conclude that the direct effects of fusion technol¬ogies of the same ideal types, are socially more desirable than those of alternatives. This is particularly true of the second generation fusion power plant.