Published Date: 23 September 2010
ONE million people (Leeds and Wakefield combined) require one gigawatt of electricity and supplying this for one year uses 3,200,000 tonnes of coal, which would fill Elland Road Stadium five times.
It emits 8,500,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases and produces 900,000 cubic metres of toxic (and radioactive) fly ash.
One tonne of thorium (a 17inch cube) would do the same job. It 'burns' safely, to supply electricity cheaper than any other form of generation and, it produces no greenhouse gases or dangerous wastes.
Voters of Leeds and Wakefield, raise your hands if you like the idea, even though you might be thinking it can't possibly be true.
Well, you've just voted for Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTRs).
This method of electricity generation can meet the energy needs of developed and developing worlds within a couple of decades and provide power (electrical and transport) to every one of the projected nine billion peak population.
The fuel, thorium, is so abundant it will be here long after homo sapiens has ceased to exist.
Functioning reactor designs worked 50 years ago in the USA, but it was politically buried and, although resurrected eight years ago by Kirk Sorensen (see his blogs and on YouTube), nothing much is happening.
I'm at an age where I want political action in the UK, before I fall off my perch and since there is no greater single issue facing humankind, I will strive to create a single issue party 'The LFTRs to Power the Planet Party'.
The only objective will be to get sufficient seats at the next election to force whichever party is in power into action, with all the growth and jobs creation that implies.
Incidentally, if anthropogenic global warming is happening, it will cure that also.
Do some research and if you see the light, join the party (particularly if you fancy an MP's salary). Email me at: lftrs@hotmail.co.uk
Colin Megson, Leeds 17
One tonne of thorium (a 17inch cube) would do the same job. It 'burns' safely, to supply electricity cheaper than any other form of generation and, it produces no greenhouse gases or dangerous wastes.
Voters of Leeds and Wakefield, raise your hands if you like the idea, even though you might be thinking it can't possibly be true.
Well, you've just voted for Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTRs).
This method of electricity generation can meet the energy needs of developed and developing worlds within a couple of decades and provide power (electrical and transport) to every one of the projected nine billion peak population.
The fuel, thorium, is so abundant it will be here long after homo sapiens has ceased to exist.
Functioning reactor designs worked 50 years ago in the USA, but it was politically buried and, although resurrected eight years ago by Kirk Sorensen (see his blogs and on YouTube), nothing much is happening.
I'm at an age where I want political action in the UK, before I fall off my perch and since there is no greater single issue facing humankind, I will strive to create a single issue party 'The LFTRs to Power the Planet Party'.
The only objective will be to get sufficient seats at the next election to force whichever party is in power into action, with all the growth and jobs creation that implies.
Incidentally, if anthropogenic global warming is happening, it will cure that also.
Do some research and if you see the light, join the party (particularly if you fancy an MP's salary). Email me at: lftrs@hotmail.co.uk
Colin Megson, Leeds 17
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3 comments:
It's not likely to go far without a platform. I think most countries could use a party like this but from a different approach. Prosperity from cheap fuel and cheap electricity could be a beginning since the LFTR promises that. Prosperity from LFTR heat based applications. Now the politics is the problem. I think election reform is a good idea and I have an idea from Obama's online fundraising approach of asking for 5 dollars at a time. We have spent so long being capitalists that it is too difficult to imagine any other way. But making donations greater than 5 dollars illegal that might be a way to limit unfair corporate influence. Oh well if we don't dare to dream we might never see significant change.
It's different in the UK. Ideally, I’d like to form a single-issue political party, to get 30 seats at the next election, which is enough to screw up the passage of Government legislation if they don't move on our manifesto, that reads: We insist that Her Majesty’s Government shall cease wasting taxpayers’ money on dubious renewable energy projects, and switch those funds, immediately, to the pre-production development and early mass production of LFTRs; firstly to replace all fossil fuel burning power stations in the UK and then for export.
Is that true a ton of Thorium is only measures a 17 inch cube. It is that dense? Thanks Howard
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