Molten-salt thorium reactors are the closest thing to a cost-efficient end-all solution we have.
The US has one of the largest rare-earth deposits in the world, but we don't utilize it because some idiots don't realize what to do with the byproduct of refining rare-earth minerals. Turns out that "byproduct" can be used as fuel for thorium reactors. Rare-earth industry + thorium reactors will indisputably solve our energy problem and most of our economic problems as well since more jobs will be created on two separate industries, and we'll also be able to export a valuable resource for once instead of importing all the oil from southwest Asia ("middle east" for the euro-centric).
1. Cheap, clean energy, and more of it than we've ever had before.
2. HUGE untapped rare-earth industry in the US greatly boosts economy, and neutralizes China's rare-earth monopoly "overnight".
3. More jobs, bringing U.S. back into export and manufacturing.
4. NO RISK OF DEVASTATING MELTDOWN, like Fukushima/Chernobyl.
There is literally no downside to this. So why haven't we done this? Where are all the thorium reactors?
We had one for several years but shut it down even though it worked perfectly. The military wants nuclear solutions that produces weapons-grade material as a byproduct, but the byproduct of thorium reactors CANNOT be used to make nuclear weapons, and so the idea was pushed to the wayside. That's the only reason the U.S. is spiraling the drain, downing millions of barrels of foreign oil. Ignorance and stupidity.
Please support the thorium future, and the future of humanity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyqYP6f66Mw
(Title is misleading. It's really the thorium SOLUTION, not problem. The only "problem" is that it's not being used enough.)
Also short version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK367T7h6ZY
And for the few remaining naysayers and fence-sitters, a short documentary to bring it all home:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ9Ll5EX1jc
People seem to believe that the universe is forever keeping clean energy just beyond our reach,
when the only thing holding us back is ourselves.
If you're in the U.S. the easiest way to help is to spread the word, and sign this petition:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-destruction-our-u-233-more-nasa-space-exploration-new-cancer-treatments-thorium-energy/vYMLG81W
We need
23,658 more signatures by
Feb 12, 2013 to reach the goal of
25,000, so don't wait, act now and tell all your friends.
Extra urgency notice: This petition was created before the Jan 15 threshold increase went into effect. If this petition doesn't go through,
any subsequent petition about thorium will require at least 100,000 signatures to receive a response!!!