WILL BE BACK UP AND RUNNING.
>>> WE WANT TO GET TO A POSSIBLE
MILESTONE IN THE PURSUIT OF
CLEAN ENERGY.
HERE IS WHAT "THE WASHINGTON
POST" IS REPORTING, AND THE
"FINANCIAL TIMES" AS WELL, THAT
SCIENTISTS MADE A MAJOR
BREAKTHROUGH USING NUCLEAR
FUSION WITH THE ENERGY
DEPARTMENT SET TO MAKE A BIG
ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW.
AND FOR THAT CNN'S CHIEF CLIMATE
CORRESPONDENT -- MR. BILL IS
DOING HIS OWN SOUND EFFECTS.
>> YOU DESERVE IT.
>> GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> I GUESS SO.
WE'LL SEE HOW HE GELTZ THROUGH
THIS.
IT'S FASCINATING, THIS FUSION
THING, IT'S BEEN SO HARD TO
ACHIEVE AND HOW IT CAN CHANGE
THE GAME FOR THE CLIMATE CRISIS.
>> YES.
THIS IS THE HOLY GRAIL OF
ENERGY.
IMAGINE A GLASS OF WATER FUELING
YOUR HOUSE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS
WITH NO WASTE, CHEAPLY,
RENEWBLY.
THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE SAID IS
JUST A DECADE AWAY AND ALWAYS
WILL BE, IS THE JOKE ABOUT
NUCLEAR FUSION.
FUSION THAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH
SPLITS ATOMS AND CREATES ALL THE
NUCLEAR WASTE WE KNOW ABOUT.
FUSION JAMS THEM TOGETHER BY
BASICALLY CREATING A STAR IN A
BOX.
YOU'RE CREATING THE POWER OF THE
SUN AND USING HYDROGEN ATOMS,
WATER, H2O AND SMASHING THEM
TOGETHER.
UP UNTIL NOW, THE WAY TO DO IT
IS USING MASSIVE MAGNETS, BIG
ENOUGH TO LIFT AN AIR CALIFORNIA
CARRIER.
THE LAWRENCE LIVERMORE
LABORATORY DECIDED TO USE
LASERS.
THEY'RE HEATING THIS HYDROGEN
PLASMA, MAKING IT SO HOT THAT
THE REACTION CREATES MORE ENERGY
THAT YOU PUT IN.
THIS COULD BE A MAJOR
BREAKTHROUGH, SECRETARY GRANHOLM
EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE TOMORROW.
>> THE QUESTION IS COMMERCIAL
USE, RIGHT?
WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE SOMETHING
THAT'S --
>> IT COULD BE DECADES AWAY.
IT COULD BE DECADES AWAY.
BUT IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS
WHERE YOU THINK NOTHING IS GOING
TO HAPPEN AND THEN SOMETHING
HAPPENS AND IT'S ALL AT ONCE.
>> DECADES ISN'T THAT LONG.
>> IT ISN'T THAT LONG.
>> FOR THIS.
>> THERE'S OTHER PATHWAYS TO
THIS THAT COULD HAVE EVEN BIGGER
BREAKTHROUGHS.
I THINK THE BIGGER SENSE IS, THE
LEAD-IN TO THE STORY WAS ANOTHER
PIPELINE.
>> THAT'S JUST WHAT I WAS
THINKING.
THIS DOESN'T HAVE SPILLS LIKE
THAT.
>> EXACTLY.
>> THERE ARE IMPLICATIONS, TOO.
>> OF COURSE.
THERE ARE TRADEOFFS FOR
EVERYTHING, FOR WIND AND SOLAR.
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE LEAST
HORRIBLE OPTIONS
IT'S OBVIOUS THAT, DEPENDING ON
THE FUELS THAT LEAK AND BURN IS
WHAT GOT US INTO THIS CLIMATE
CRISIS.
THE CLOSER WE CAN GET TO A
BETTER FUTURE -- THE FASTER THE
BETTER.
>> YOU WERE SAYING YOU WERE
LOOKING ATWATER POURING YOUR
HOME --
>> IT'S THE HYDROGEN ATOMS IN A
GLASS OF WATER IS THE FUEL
SOURCE FOR THIS.
>> I KEPT THINKING FROM A FAMILY
WHO GREW UP WITH TWO PARENTS WHO
WORKED FOR EXXON OIL AND
CHEMICAL PLANTS, THEY MUST BE
SAYING WAIT, WHAT'S HAPPENING?
ARE THEY HAPPY ABOUT IT?
>> ANYTHING THAT CHALLENGES THE
STATUS QUO BUSINESS MODEL,
THAT'S THE MOST PROFITABLE
INDUSTRY EVER.
THE SMART ONES WILL PROBABLY GET
BEHIND THESE TRANSITIONS.
I'M WORKING ON A SPECIAL ON THIS
NOW, THESE IDEAS OF THINGS THAT
ARE -- EVERYTHING YOU CAN SEE IN
YOUR FISCAL WORLD WILL HAVE TO
BE REINVENTED IN SOME WAY OR
ANOTHER.
ENERGY SOURCES, HOW YOU CLOTHE
AND FEED AND SHELTER YOUR
CHILDREN.
EVERYTHING IS CHANGES IN THE
MOST DRAMATIC WAYS MOVING
FORWARD.
THIS CAN BE A WRITE BROTHERS
MOMENT FOR ENERGY TOMORROW.
>> WE'LL SEE WHAT SECRETARY
GRANHOLM SAYS IN HER
ANNOUNCEMENT.
BILL WEIR, THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS.
>> THE FUTUR