On 05/04/2010 03:22 PM, HeyBub wrote:

You are correct that we don't have a solution to nuclear waste.

We have LOTS of solutions.

* We can encase the waste in molten glass and dump it in the Marianna's
Trench
* We can liquify it an inject it into a salt dome
* We can concentrate it and rocket it into the sun

and so on. There are probably a hundred viable solutions.


Actually we're probably better off re-using it. Most current "nuclear
waste" is actually still a pretty good fuel source and can be
reprocessed. It's currently cheaper to just use freshly-mined uranium,
which is why we're not doing it.

Also, new reactor designs like the "travelling wave" reactor are
expected to produce far less waste since they basically breed their own
fuel from depleted uranium right before they react it. This allows them
to operate much more efficiently. They're also in theory capable of
re-using their own fuel and the waste from current light-water reactors.

Chris