Comment A possible solution to the global energy crisis (Score 2) 470
This is not a fantasy. Foundations for this technology were developed back in the 60's at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, and today we call this the Liquid Flouride Thorium Reactor (LFTR or even Molten Salt Reactor). The advantages are numerous: inherent stability (no meltdown possible), abundant fuel (thorium is 3-4 times as abundant as uranium), low start-up requirements (less than a couple tons of fissile material is needed- critical for scalability), proliferation resistant (U-233 is always contaminated with radioactive U-232), more than 100 times as efficient as the current fuel cycle, drastically reduced waste due to efficiency, considerably lower costs due to many factors, especially safety, and the list goes on. We need to be asking ourselves why we are not aggressively pursuing this promising technology. Cheap abundant energy is our best choice for both securing our future and dramatically reducing the prevalence of poverty throughout the rest of the world. The ability for our economy to provide the services we need is utterly dependent on energy.
In case you are not convinced that this path is necessary to avoid the most dire consequences of global economic collapse, I suggest checking out:
Energy lecture by a theoretical physicist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeGijutBSx0
Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air: http://www.withouthotair.com/
Advantages of LFTR: http://energyfromthorium.com/lftradsrisks.html
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: http://energyfromthorium.com/essay3rs/
Our energy future is not a trivial concern. If we make the right choices, we will revitalize our economy, avoid the worst consequences of our ignorance, eliminate poverty, and live comfortably for thousands, if not millions of more years. Can you think that far ahead?