Thorium Google Talk and Jim Hansen Now a Thorium Proponent

Joe Bonometti, gave a Google Tech talk on liquid fluoride thorium reactors. 11MB of powerpoint slides

Besides the low amount of waste and almost complete burning of all Uranium and Plutonium, another big advantage of liquid fluoride reactors is fast and safe shutoff and restart capability. This fast stop and restart allows for load following electricity generation. This means a different electric utility niche can be addressed other than just baseload power for nuclear power. Currently natural gas is the primary load following power source. Wind and solar are intermittent in that they generate power at unreliable times. LFTR would be reliable on demand power.

Small, mobile and factory mass producible liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTR) designs are being proposed. About 500 tons for the LFTR power plant to generate 100 MWe with 30 years between refueling.

James Hensen, NASA scientist famous for sounding early warning on global warming, has an eight page open letter to Barack Obama arguing for Integral Fast Breeders and Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors

James Hansen appeared on Charlie Roseand advocated nuclear power


Sovietoligist, a grad history student with an interest in Soviet atomic power, answers Joe Romm’s critiques of Hansen.

Sovietologist fact check of Joe Romm on New nuclear power

Nuclear Green suggests factory assembled LFTR’s and swapping out the coal burners with LFTR’s.

There is bill in the US Senate to fund Thorium nuclear research for $250 million form 2009 to 2013. It is currently in committee and may or may not pass.