World-wide, wind barely provides 2% of the world's energy needs. Solar power provides some fraction well under 1% of the world's energy usage. So, are you saying that we should ignore wind & solar because, as you say "...until you have, say 2 or 5% of the country's energy coming from something, you don't know how well it will work as a viable utility..." Talk about a straw man's argument... How about seriously considering the proven R&D behind Thorium-based power technologies, before blasting it out of the water...just like you expect of solar and wind power prospects, that have already proven themselves to have lower yields & in some cases higher hazardous outcomes.

I've said it once, so I'll repeat again: solar is a joke. Every square meter of the earth's surface, when exposed to direct sunlight, receives a peak of 1000 watts (1 kilowatt) of power during the day. Over the course of an entire "perfect" day, you're realistically looking at no more than ~5KW of raw sunpower hitting the ground. That's assuming a clear sunny day... This is the raw energy available for harvesting, not some thermodynamics or technical efficiency smoke & mirrors. Sure, in THEORY, only 4% of the world's deserts (which cover about 35% of our landmass) need to be coated with solar energy collectors...but have you ever looked at where those deserts are, and compared that to where the energy-consumers are? The LAWS of PHYSICS do NOT enable us to harvest enough power from the sun, where that power is actually needed, to meet the world's existing let-alone growing energy needs. Solar has its purpose in specific and local/regional use-cases, but not as a general energy source.

As for all that military stuff & weapons hints you keep making. Sounds like you still need to research what a thorium reactor really does. Either that, or start citing specific concerns that are still a valid issue with Thorium reactors - otherwise you're just fearmongering.

WRONG: There exists plenty of R&D thorium reactors; so the physics have been proven. One excellent example is we've proven that the energy from one (1) tonne of thorium is roughly equal to 200 tonnes of uraniumm, or 3,500,000 tonnes of coal. The point is, we have a measured energy output from real-world reactors - not just fluffy academic theories.

Yea, because shedding blood over oil is so economical.

Thorium scavenges plutonium, thereby acting as an eco-cleaner that eradicates this terrible scary waste you hint at.

Here's a recent article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/7970619/Obama-could-kill-fossil-fuels-overnight-with-a-nuclear-dash-for-thorium.html

I have no idea what this "test" is you speak of, but the idea of solar is a joke. We can always hope to break, but simply cannot ignore established laws of physics - no matter how much we might want to. You want us to ignore physics? Let me know what happens when you leap off a cliff...damn silly laws of physics...

I believe that a day will come, which enables us to effectively break established laws of physics, but until that day, I do not want my children's blood shed over a purposeless war intended to control corporate-sponsored energy options. Especially when strong alternatives exists, even though puppets like you continue to ignorantly spout otherwise. Speaking to ignorance - maybe try lifting that veil of your own, and do some in-depth independent research - instead of just fumbling around with a half-assed read of a wikipedia article.

When it comes to solar, we cannot hope to harness a fraction of this planet's needed transportation related energy needs, let-alone the other energy needs. We're better off using the same square-acreage and growing food, or even growing biofuel.

Now, wind, there's interesting potential there; I live in Portland Oregon, USA - there's a huge number of expanding wind farms just east of me, and our biggest issue is the fact that our current electrical grid is struggling to carry all of this new power.

But our wind farms will not keep New York running overnight...nor help the east-coast survive a cold winter.

Oh, I wish people would stop whining already.

Thorium Reactors consume existing radioactive waste leaving only non-bomb-grade short-term (~100year) waste behind. The sooner we accept that nuclear is again vaible and that the new reactor designs are safe, the sooner we can stop spilling blood over oil.

Graphite foam batteries have a higher energy denisty than any existing lithium-based battery tech, and are perfect canidates for short to mid-range electric vehicles (ie: 80-90% of most driver's needs).

Microturbines enable us to far more efficently convert power from existing fuels...for those longer-distance trips.

Then there's bio-gas engines, stirling heat-engines, tesla turbines, wind turbines, and other centuries-old technologies.

The world is not coming to an end...it's just changing.