We have been conditioned to believe that we are in the midst of a severe energy shortage. Yet, if we were to take a closer look at Thorium, element # 90 on the Periodic Table, we would discover that we have more energy available than we will ever use.
Until he died, Dr. Petr Beckmann, ( Czech refugee from the Nazis) spent much of his career in America promoting nuclear power. Unfortunately, he was treated as demon by the environmental movement, and much of his work was ignored.
Many green leaders are now admitting to the mistake of rejecting this clean, safe and relatively cheap technology. President Obama, has promised to make energy conservation and the environment among his top priorities. He has chosen several “climate change” activists to serve as his top officials. Among them is, Harvard physicist, John Holdren as his presidential science advisor. He could have a huge impact on our country’s future energy policies. In his career he has focused on climate change, nuclear disarmament, and next generation nuclear energy.
As we know it today, nuclear power is obsolete. Currently our light water reactors use uranium-235. Not only is this fuel expensive, but it’s byproducts create political problems. The byproducts are a hot topic, because they can be used to create nuclear weapons. The very reason we adopted uranium-235, was because America needed the materials for nuclear weapons. Our power plants at the time, provided those materials, thus pushing aside the more superior fuels such as thorium.
Pluses for thorium, is that it is by far more abundant than uranium-235. Thorium reactors do not produce hazardous waste materials that are useful in manufacturing nuclear weapons. The waste is far less hazardous and much cheaper and easier to dispose of. In general, thorium reactors are safer to operate because they produce little radioactive threat outside their shielding. In fact, thorium reactors cannot experience a catastrophic meltdown. The fact that thorium plants can’t melt down, suggests that the total energy cost to operate would be much lower.
Another plus, is that thorium reactors can be almost any size. There have been prototypes made small enough for military aircraft. This fact alone, makes them more feasible for developing countries to afford, saving the cost of a large-scale infrastructure. They would also be much more appealing internationally, because they cannot be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. To learn more about thorium energy, read this.
It is my hope that the Obama administration, will reduce reduce barriers to the production of thorium, by taking a serious look at the positive impact it can make. A shift to thorium as a source of energy, could help create “green jobs”, facilitate economic recovery, and help environmental and nonproliferation causes.
Update:http://www.energyfromthorium.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7t=1258
If you have any further questions about Thorium there is a very active discussion found at the link above.
