ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) has just lost the US financial contribution for 2008. It is due to the shrinkage of the global US research budget. The American Government will not pay the $160 million contribution because they reduced the global budget of $400 million. More than 500 people (mostly scientists) have been fired in the USA. The other participants will not have to raise their participation, but the main problem consists on a delay in the American equipment construction.
ITER is an international project developed to provide nuclear fusion energy, instead of nuclear fission energy (used in our classic reactors). The nuclear fusion is endless, more powerful and creates only few radioactive wastes. It is an old project, that started in 1986, by a Mikhaïl Gorbachev proposal. Nowadays, the members are the European Union, Russia, the USA, Canada, Japan, South-Korea, India, Brazil and Switzerland (cooperating with the EU).
This American withdrawal is not the first one. In 1998, the USA quited the project, thinking it was too expensive, without prospect. We hope this withdrawal will not endure. The recent unexpected Brazilian adhesion can not compensate the American investments and technical contribution.
Source: http://www.lesechos.fr/info/energie/300234627.htm?xtor=RSS-2007
