Energy From Thorium: A Nuclear Waste Burning Liquid Salt Thorium Reactor

Kirk Sorensen's Tech Talk, delivered at Google on July 20, 2009.

Successfully developing a liquid-fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR) would essentially solve our planets energy problems for thousands of years, because it would allow us to fully utilize the energy in natural thorium, which makes up 0.0012% of the Earths crust. Most of the research and development work for this technology was done by Oak Ridge National Labs back in the 50s and 60s. They were working to a different set of overall objectives, nevertheless, there are many lessons to be gleaned from their work that can help us to avoid pitfalls and develop LFTR into a high-performance, high-reliability power supply.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• energy
• nuclear

[MrMaveri]

Interesting how he mentioned India as being the most likely candidate for thorium reactors - 2011 is the date given for India to fire up it's first thorium reactor!

Shame that in Australia they refuse to look at just about anything except for dirty coal :-(

[artyfarty3]

wow , i'm blown away ! very impressive ! thanks for this most enlightening lecture .

and a special thanks to Google Tech Talk for uploading this for every one :) Thank You :)

P.S. in light of what is happening in Japan right now I think we all should make the effort to make this vid. go viral - so pass it on to all your friends ! :) the world needs GOOD solutions to the global energy problems , and I think we are on to a winner with this one :)

[alexasmithy]

great video thanks

[shoppittsburghnow]

love the video really good

[chrispikeyp]

very interesting video thanks

[RukifelthCreuz]

@stiffyschlong

wikipedia ---> Nirvana_fallacy

what you're suggesting is simply not feasible.

[stiffyschlong]

Thorium is not totally safe. After the fuel is used 17% of the remaining fisile matter is radioactive and has to be stashed inside a mountain for 300 years. Far from being green.

We need to build more windmills and solar power and reduce electrical consumption, that's the way to go.

[roflex2]

Does anyone know at what point in this video he discussing india, I watched it all but can't remember at what point he covers it.

[DanielElyRankin]

@WenliangMa I cannot get to your petition at the moment, but please compare to mine at whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/pet­ition/provide-funding-liquid-f­luoride-thorium-reactor-lftr-r­esearch-and-development-energy­-independence/JkwTRBlv

and if its duplication (with less signatures) please delete yours and push this one.

If it has got more signatures than this one, I will have mine taken down.

Again, i cannot see yours at the moment to see which has more sigs

[DanielElyRankin]

Find the Petition for LFTRs on Whitehouse dot Gov!!

whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/pet­ition/provide-funding-liquid-f­luoride-thorium-reactor-lftr-r­esearch-and-development-energy­-independence/JkwTRBlv