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Tothe Editor:
An alternative to the archaic method of producing nuclear energy fromUranium/Plutonium is to use Thorium. (Nukes in Wisconsin Not Likely - ShepherdExpress - August 14, 2008)
Because Thorium is not a fissile material: Thereis no danger of a melt-down or nuclear proliferation because it is not suitablefor the production of weapon grade materials in fact we should be able to shareinformation with our “enemies.”
Thorium reactors: Produce minimal radioactivewaste; Can burn Plutonium waste from traditional nuclear reactors withadditional energy output; Do not require reprocessing of the fuel; Fuel canremain in the reactor during the reactor's life of 30-40 years - after that thecore could be transferred into a new reactor; Can reduce waste by 80 to 90 %;Waste is not dangerous after 50 years whereas present nuclear waste isdangerous for thousands of years.
Thorium facts: The energy contained in onekilogram of Thorium equals that of four thousand tons of coal; Since Thorium isnot a fissile material, it must be "bombarded" with neutrons whichcan be supplies by cyclotrons or - better yet - by waste from spent fuel fromour present nuclear plants; The global Thorium reserves could cover the world’senergy needs for thousands of years; The USA has an estimated 160,000 tons ofThorium - mostly in Idaho; Based on today’s $115 per barrel of crude, the USAhas the equivalent of $393 trillion in Thorium energy.
Wayne Stroessner, WICEC Past President
An alternative to the archaic method of producing nuclear energy fromUranium/Plutonium is to use Thorium. (Nukes in Wisconsin Not Likely - ShepherdExpress - August 14, 2008)
Because Thorium is not a fissile material: Thereis no danger of a melt-down or nuclear proliferation because it is not suitablefor the production of weapon grade materials in fact we should be able to shareinformation with our “enemies.”
Thorium reactors: Produce minimal radioactivewaste; Can burn Plutonium waste from traditional nuclear reactors withadditional energy output; Do not require reprocessing of the fuel; Fuel canremain in the reactor during the reactor's life of 30-40 years - after that thecore could be transferred into a new reactor; Can reduce waste by 80 to 90 %;Waste is not dangerous after 50 years whereas present nuclear waste isdangerous for thousands of years.
Thorium facts: The energy contained in onekilogram of Thorium equals that of four thousand tons of coal; Since Thorium isnot a fissile material, it must be "bombarded" with neutrons whichcan be supplies by cyclotrons or - better yet - by waste from spent fuel fromour present nuclear plants; The global Thorium reserves could cover the world’senergy needs for thousands of years; The USA has an estimated 160,000 tons ofThorium - mostly in Idaho; Based on today’s $115 per barrel of crude, the USAhas the equivalent of $393 trillion in Thorium energy.
Wayne Stroessner, WICEC Past President
