Thorium Reactors: GREEN NUCLEAR ENERGY?
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
United States
September 20, 2007 9:16am CST
Okay, here's something interesting one of my myLot friends mentioned to me. A new type of nuclear reactor that produces energy more safely with less waste. They are even planning on building a working model in India. Here's a start for learning about this interesting development.
http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/scripts98/9820/thoriumscpt.htm
What do you think?
Could there be thorium reactors in the energy future of your country?
If India can do it, why not others?
Anyone know the names of any of the companies involved?
3 people like this
4 responses
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
20 Sep 07
This would seem a lot better solution than what we now have, and I like the way that existing nuclear waste can be disposed of with these reactors, not to mention that there is no way for these to be made into a bomb.
The possibilities are amazing to say the least, and if we take into account that we have barely scratched the surface in this type of technology....there is no doubt that we will have found an even better and safer source of energy long before the Thorium supply was depleted.
On the surface it looks like a really good alternative, has a lot less waste that has a far shorter period of being radioactive.
I hope it works out.
2 people like this
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
20 Sep 07
I hope it works out, too. In the meantime, if we can find out what companies are doing the research, I'll research those companies!
2 people like this
@smacksman (6053)
•
12 Apr 08
Ok - that was in 1998 and the Spanish were building plants by 2005, according to the article.
Any updates in 2008 or was it a hoax?
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
12 Apr 08
I just put in "thorium reactor" in the search engine at the top of the myLot page and got plenty of hits to detailed web sites discussing this subject. It is not hoax. There is plenty published about thorium reactors. Happy reading!
@theprogamer (10532)
• United States
12 Dec 07
I've read about this and hope more strides toward the thorium technology is made. It'll be much better than existing technology, and even with the safety protocols of today's reactors(scrams, auto-shutdowns), this newer one will be much safer than that by design. I say, keep up the research and get it implemented. It'll help reduce pollution, dependence on poorer sources of energy, etc.
1 person likes this
@Uroborus (908)
• Canada
8 Jan 08
Thorium reactors due hold the promise of having nuclear energy with less radiactive waste. Especially less plutonium (about 80% less), which can be used in making nuclear bombs. Thorium is more abundant than Uranium. Why can India do it and not us? One reason is that the current infrastructure the nuclear industry has built is based on uranium. The economic incentive to switch to thorium isn't there yet, since it would cost a huge amount to switch.
