On Mar 14, 3:34*pm, "Steve W." wrote:
http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/1...e-explanation/

Now I'll wait for the doom and gloom crowd to start wailing....

--
Steve W.

One positive thing which might come out this would be to get more
people thinking about the safety, fuel cost, and low rad. waste
advantages of LFTR vs present uranium fueled reactors. LFTR system
design work certainly needs a boost to at least pilot scale, and may
even justify a Manhatten Project level of support if pilot scale
results support it. Combined with a large scale liquid fuels plants,
(ala Los Alamos Green Freedom), pulling CO2 from the air or other
carbon sources, we could make a big dent in our oil imports. The net
zero CO2 fuels thus produced could be used with our existing
infrastructure. Enough domestic thorium exists to fuel our country
for 1000 years.

Solar and Wind power are not likely to make up more than 5-10% of our
electrical power generation unless we go back to pre industrial levels
on power consumption. Electric cars are great for tree hugger types,
but if the power to run them comes from a coal, or even a natural gas
powered grid, they may emit more CO2 than a Hybrid of similar size. If
you get less than 25% of the power plants thermal input out in the
form of electricity to your power outlet, and then lose some more in
AC to DC conversion, battery charging, and I2R losses how does this
beat a hybrid with a 25% eff. gasoline engine let alone a 30% eff
diesel Hybrid? (UhOh if forgot diesel is a dirty word with our EPA).

Given the huge potential impact LFTR and liquid fuels generation could
have on our economy I can not understand why I have not heard one iota
about either from any mainstream "news" source or "alternative" energy
show. I doubt 1 in 100 people in the US have ever even heard about
LFTR. India and China are already putting money into research for
LFTR's.

Hopefully the containment vessels were undamaged in this quake, (which
was 7X stronger than the design basis), and still do their job. In my
experience, the Japanese do not scrimp on concrete or steel when
designing for earthquakes.