tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post5357530036433518075..comments2024-02-16T17:52:44.944-06:00Comments on The Nuclear Green Revolution: ‘‘Why wasn't the LFTR developed a long time ago?”Charles Bartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01125297013064527425noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-79623057944265998952009-04-17T10:12:00.000-05:002009-04-17T10:12:00.000-05:00mdf technetium-99 is as I recall about 6% of the b...mdf technetium-99 is as I recall about 6% of the byproduct of throium fission. It has medical uses but little else at present. If we powered 80% of theAmerican economy with thorium we would end up with about 60 tons a year of technetium-99. To do something with. There would be several options. Long term disposal in old Uranium mines might be an option.Charles Bartonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01125297013064527425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-27257907503767334052009-04-17T08:57:00.000-05:002009-04-17T08:57:00.000-05:00Charles,
Another good sales pitch for the LFTR. I...Charles,<br /><br />Another good sales pitch for the LFTR. I will meet later this morning with a chemistry prof to plan guest lectures in two of his courses. They are majors and non-majors chemistry classes. Your comments and list will be very useful in making a brief introduction of LFTR. I recall making a similar list for LFTR advantages. The hope of producing energy for less than dirty coal with a low proliferation risk in order to afford developing countries access to cheap clean energy is a dream worth pursuing. Here in Iowa a lot of concern is about affordable fertilizer. High temperature nuclear reactors may produce hydrogen from water at 50% efficiency. This is good for the Iowa economy and a necessity for sustaining our world population.<br /><br />John TjostemAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-71237255009198496462009-04-17T08:15:00.000-05:002009-04-17T08:15:00.000-05:0016. Instead of producing nuclear waste, the LFTR w...<I>16. Instead of producing nuclear waste, the LFTR will produce rare and valuable minerals.</I>I was recently in discussion with a gold bug: people who are fanatically attached to the idea that 'money' must be ultimately connected to blocks of gold, that fractional reserve currencies are the spawn of the devil, and so on.<br /><br />I was thinking about this ... when I had an epiphany.<br /><br />Why not base a currency on technetium-99?<br /><br />It's rare, fairly useless, and -- best of all -- you can <B>literally make money</B> by operating a nuclear reactor, as it is a principle, long-lived component of the waste stream. What an incentive!<br /><br />Further, if the stuff had "intrinsic value", then it would also solve a long-term storage problem, in that people will take care of the stuff, instead of just putting it into drums and throwing them into pits with fingers crossed.mdfnoreply@blogger.com