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Back when nuclear energy was about to become a reality, we had to make a decision: uranium or thorium? We chose uranium because it has nasty leftovers that could be used to make bombs.
But we don't need bombs anymore so it's time to switch back to thorium and lots of (but not enough) money is being poured into making thorium a viable energy option. Once it gets going, it will be excitingly more efficient and safe and space-thrifty than uranium. Plus we have tons of it. Here's my favorite introductory article on thorium.
In our quest for thorium-based energy, we should partner with Iran (and other nations), sharing science with each other, and master thorium reactors together. If Iran is serious about only wanting energy, they'll participate. (They're not of course, but we don't have a way to stop them --- might as well take away their moral argument.) This way the US and Iran will share a significant economic link, and as we've learned from Friedman, economic links prevent wars.
The current method for dealing with Iran is stupid and bullheaded. A substantial percentage of Iranians would rather be friends with Obama than the Ayatollah and we should support that feeling as much as possible. Let's make friends, not rap knuckles.
And thorium, it seems to me, is the simplest path to nurturing these friendships.
You're welcome.
You just like Thorium because it begins with th.
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ReplyDeleteWe did hit it off pretty easily for just that reason.
The beginnings of nuclear energy and the beginnings of electricity are similar in that there were two options (simplistically). AC/DC, the less safe option became the standard.
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ReplyDeleteThat's a curious point. I'm apt to call it coincidence, but still: very odd.
Oh, the similarity ends there and is most certainly a coincidence. Edison held patents for DC and not for AC. It was about money and who held most of the business. Edison won the "Current War". So, we have DC instead of the safer, more efficient AC today.
ReplyDeleteSo... AC is prevalent today (almost certainly used at your house) because it's easier to transmit power via AC circuits (because of transformers/etc.), but it's not safer than DC at equivalent loads, especially at low frequencies (like those used in the US). So, Edison won, but that was around 1900, right? Then AC became common.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe there's a joke I'm missing?
Anyway, thanks for showing us the path to a moral high ground w.r.t. Iran, Th.
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ReplyDeleteI live to serve.
I think I got my AC and DC mixed up.
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