Physicist and communications consultant at Tokamak Energy, and polar explorer and conqueror of Everest, Dr Melanie Windridge, explains how nuclear fusion is not science fiction, but an energy source that will be clean, green and safe.

Fusion energy has famously always been 30 years away from commercial utilisation, starting from the first international agreement to build a fusion reactor by the leaders of the USA and USSR, Reagan and Gorbachev, in 1985. There is still no clarity on when this massive global initiative will start producing energy commercially.

Tokamak Energy, which started in 2009, is developing a small scale fusion reactor, which recently reached a temperature hotter than the centre of the Sun, 15 million degrees, and they plan to be producing industrial scale energy by 2025.

Melanie who has a PhD in Plasma Physics from Imperial College London shares the history of fusion energy from the development of the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) and the JET (Joint European Thorus) to the current race for fusion energy which is now being led by start-ups around the world.
 
Highlights of this episode:

• What is fusion energy how does it compare to fission nuclear energy
• Recent history of the developments in fusion energy and why the tokamak is a promising approach
• Current race to develop the first commercial fusion energy reactor
• Current developments at Tokamak Energy and their future plans
• Criticism of fusion energy and how we can overcome these challenges
• How being an outdoor adventurer combined with her science background has allowed her to inspire others
• How she overcame initial difficulties working in a male dominated area

 
Useful links:
Tokamak Energy: https://www.tokamakenergy.co.uk/
Recent news release: https://www.tokamakenergy.co.uk/hotter-than-the-centre-of-the-sun-uk-prototype-reaches-15-million-degrees-paving-the-way-for-commercial-fusion-energy/  

Melanie Windridge’s personal website: http://melaniewindridge.co.uk/
Melanie’s book - Aurora: In search of the Nothern Lights: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28014506-aurora

​Nuclear Fusion as a renewable resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_proposed_as_renewable_energy#Fusion_fuel_supply
 
Chapters:
[0:50] What is nuclear fusion?
[5:00] Why is nuclear fusion energy always still 30 years away?
[10:00] Tokamak Energy
[13:00] A worldwide collaboration to create ITER big meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev
[15:00] 3 things that affects output of fusion energy
[17:00] Magnetic technology has moved on
[19:00] Pivoting to making power stations with small tokamaks
[20:40] Milestones to commercialise Tokamak Energy
[23:00] Science is difficult to predict
[26:00] Climate change is happening
[29:00] Other types of fusion energy
[32:00] Criticism of fusion energy
[34:00] Background of Melanie Windridge
[37:00] Polar exploration and climbing Everest
[39:00] Being a woman in science

In this episode, Charlotte talks about her inspiration switching from being a lawyer to founding car rental company Whizzgo which was acquired by City Car Club. Charlotte currently runs We Are Orchard where they manage the trade association ADBA (Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association) and Cleantech Innovate events that showcases and connects startups in sustainability with investors.

Highlights of this episode:

• ​Introducing the pay-by-the-hour car rental concept to the UK and changing consumer behaviours with Whizzgo
• Running a trade association organisation for sustainability niches at We Are Orchard
• The types of support startup can expect from Cleantech Innovate and some of her favourite startup ideas
• Elements that will derisk a startup for investors and success factors for founders
• How to bring the right experience into your board member and executive team

​Useful links:
Charlotte Morton’s Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-morton-1a0a322
Charlotte Morton’s Twitter https://twitter.com/charlotte_adba

We Are Orchard http://www.weareorchard.com/
We Are Orchard’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/we-are-orchard-ltd/
We Are Orchard’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/orchardexpo

Cleantech Innovate https://www.cleantechinnovate.com/
Cleantech Innovate Yotube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxp-J_8HK3h-a-ON71TSuRQ/videos

Airponix http://www.airponix.com/
Kite Power Solution http://www.kps.energy/
67PallMall  http://67pallmall.co.uk/

This episode follows Richard Barker’s thought provoking TEDTalk and shines a light on possible radical solutions that can unlock the trillions of dollars tied in pension funds for long term sustainable investments. 

Richard Barker is an Adviser and Investment Committee Member at Iona Capital, a specialist environmental infrastructure investor. He has been active in the low carbon space for over a decade having previously been CEO of the UK’s leading biogas company and also CEO of France’s largest aluminium recycling company. He is a member of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps.

Highlights of the podcast:

• Why there is enough wealth in the world to address climate change
• How a pay cheque to owners of big oil assets can be a solution to climate change
• Why the finance sector is not fit for purpose and how to fix this
• Why we should pay more attention to the opportunities than the cost of climate action
• Effective climate action for individuals, employees, businesses and governments
• What we can learn from organ donation to change people’s psychology

“What Abolition of Slavery tells us about Climate Change” TEDTalk: https://youtu.be/3NI-j8sDKno
Iona Capital: https://www.ionacapital.co.uk/
Richard Barker’s Linkendin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-barker-78b97428/

The Sun Exchange’s vision is enable Africa to leapfrog into a new clean energy future using a blockchain enabled crowdfunding platform. Their solution enables anyone, anywhere in the world, to buy and lease solar assets to power villages starting in South Africa.

Abe talks about how solar energy is the most distributed and democratic source of energy and why the openness and transparency is key to making their platform work.   Abe also shared on how a change in market conditions and his experience running a solar installation cooperative in Cornwall, UK lead to the founding of The Sun Exchange.

Connect with Abraham Cambridge on linkedin.

 Just prior to the launch of their Renewables 2017 Global Status Report, which found there was a record of 161 GW added to global power capacity, for 23% less investment, I talked with Christine Lins, the Executive Secretary of REN21, which is based at the UNEP.

In this fascinating conversation, Christine and I discussed Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement, and why it may aid global action on climate change, baseload myths, fossil fuel divestment and how policy makers and innovative small businesses can help drive the renewable revolution.
 
REN21 was created in 2004 as a ‘Coalition of the Willing’: all those in the private and the public sector that are keen on advancing renewable energy. Their members span from national governments to different international institutions such as the UN, European Commission, World Bank, industry associations, NGOs and actors in the field of science and academia. 

On this podcast I’m joined by Tom Old and Karl Walker who are both directors of Clean Energy UK, which is a leading light in the renewables revolution, helping businesses switch to 100% clean supply.

They share their adventures in sustainability, with Al Gore being their matchmaker, and then taking us through their visit to COP21 and onto founding Clean Energy UK together in addition to being involved with The Big Clean Switch and the Carbon Free Group.  On the way we discuss the learnings from An Inconvenient Truth and how they are looking towards the exponential growth of climate solutions.

A passion for racing cars and sustainability aren't usual bedfellows. Hugo Spowers is not an usual entrepreneur though, and the business he has created, Riversimple, isn't a business-as-usual company, as represented by its purpose: “To pursue, systematically, the elimination of the environmental impact of personal transport”.

The headline innovation of Riversimple is they are bringing to market a hydrogen fuel cell car: the Rasa. Whilst this is impressive, it is actually only one of the cutting edge circular economy innovations at the core of this company.  As Andrew Davis, CEO of the Environmental Transport Association, observes: "It’s important to think outside the box. I think some people at Riversimple don't know where the box is”