India and China are actively pursuing Thorium technology. The West has invested heavily in Uranium based reactors for the reason given earlier but seem reluctant to move on, I suppose it is 'better the devil you know'.
There is nothing new about the Thorium-232 based cycle, it has been used and experimented with since the 1950s. There are many different types of nuclear reactions with potential to deliver useful power, each with its range of advantages and drawbacks. And there would be a lot more nuclear power stations, of various and ever-improving designs, if the dreaded Greens had not strangled the nuclear power industry decades ago - thus leaving us mainly burning coal. Duh!
I think it is the well meaning but naive Greens that should be strangled. Governments aren't taking climate change seriously. Otherwise they'd investigate this possible solution – Telegraph Blogs This outlines a possible way of removing large quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere very cheaply. Interesting to read some of the comments relating to the article. It sounds very plausible with little apparent downside, barring the Law of Unintended Consequences. Chasing Rainbows: Economic Myths, Environmental Facts: Amazon.co.uk: Tim Worstall: Books A book by Tim Worstall on how the current initiatives to combat global warming are missing the target. Note in this book he is neutral on whether global warming is real or not but looks purely at the the economic effects of those intitatives.
Well, maybe, but nuclear reactors had to start with Uranium originally because Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring isotope on Earth which fissions spontaneously. You just dig up Uranium, enrich it (increase the percentage of U-235), put it in a reactor, and it just starts producing lots of heat energy - by magic. With Thorium-232 nothing happens until it is "ignited" by something which produces neutrons, usually Uranium-235. The presence of a quantity of Uranium is essential for the Thorium-232 cycle to work at all, a fact which does not seem to be emphasised in the video.
Now are we talking pitchblende or yellowcake? :wink: If we carry on like this the CIA will pick up on some keywords and the next minute we will have SCO19 bashing the door down..... AL.
'Burning' Uranium is a chain reaction which needs to be moderated and failure can lead to a runaway reaction and meltdown whereas Thorium isn't a chain reaction and, as you say, requires an external neutron source, it can therefore can be designed to 'fail safe'. There are several naturally occuring elements that are spontaneously radioactive though, Potassium (40) and Radon are two that spring to mind. Hang on there is knock at the door :wink:
Will you folks kindly stop discussing ways of upsetting the very satisfactory political/economic status quo which ensures the puppet-master rich continue their opulent and deeply manipulative lifestyles. Hmm ... my doorbell just went, hang on ....
You should never believe anything a politician tells you. Bullshit and controlling the populace is their game.
