THHHHHHHinking about THORium!

When I was a young boy I remember wishing I could be THOR. I loved the idea of swinging an almighty powerful hammer. I nicknamed my bike THOR (sometimes TORNADO, not relevant here...but honest) because I was so excited about the power of that name. It is NOT surprising to me that this element was also named after the Norse God of Thunder! For more basics about Thorium: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium.

I showed my students a TED Talk presented by Kirk Sorensen about Thorium (http://energyfromthorium.com/) Their reaction was the same that mine was when I first saw it a few years ago. Why do we not pursue this energy source? What is the catch? I investigated the web to better understand this energy resource: http://www.thoriumenergy.com/ promotes the rare earth minerals that are mined and thorium can be a byproduct. Sounds efficient. This May (30-31st) in Chicago there is the Thorium Energy Alliance http://www.thoriumenergyalliance.com/.

I rarely hear the USA discuss Thorium but when I read websites about Thorium it seems like it is old news. I was really disappointed when I read this article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/9784044/China-blazes-trail-for-clean-nuclear-power-from-thorium.html because it appears that China is investing in Thorium and are leading the way with this energy resource. The USA discussed Thorium as an option in the 1950s. We led the push for solar PV and wind power generation. Why are we allowing our nation to relinquish innovation of positive and sustainable energy resources to other nations while we abuse artificially cheap fossil fuels??? Germany leads the way with solar and Denmark with wind and now China with Thorium? Where is our leadership? Where our my fellow voters and citizens??!!

I want to invest in our nation and lead other nations to invest in our planet! Thorium should at least be considered. Humankind is naturally curious. Being omnivores we have evolved with options for food to consider. Speaking simply, I would not be happy about eating the same thing over and over as my food. I would be curious about other foods available. The same logic applies to energy. Our constant diet of coal, oil, natural gas cannot be allowed to be force fed to us anymore. And we cannot afford to consume it ignorantly as if there was no other option.

If Thorium has more benefits than uranium nuclear and if thorium has less concerns than uranium WHY DO WE NOT PURSUE IT?! Doing what is right takes courage. If the nation committed to uranium in the 1950s and now realizes thorium is better but is scared to switch....we are no longer doing the right thing.

I am not naive enough to believe that there are no negatives to thorium. I know that every energy resource will have negative impacts embedded in their energy cycle (extraction, production, etc...). As a teacher of young teens in the USA I feel more than obligated to empower them with enough curiosity and concern to consider options for energy. My hope is that they will enter the voting world and be empowered by their role as a consumer and not governed by it.

C'mon NV students! Tell the world your opinion and share your vision for energy in this world!

The Future of Personal Transportation

Neuqua Valley High School students enrolled in my Earth Science class have been challenged to understand and challenge the past, present and future of car transportation. We have discussed fuel sources (biomass, fossil fuel, synthetic, electric and combinations in between). 

My THOUGHTS on Personal Transportation:

• I struggle to understand the American mass. I define American mass by the majority of us that buy a car based on the status it offers (perceived), the tasks it is designed for (hauling/towing/commuting) or the price it costs WITHOUT even considering how this vehicle is powered. That blows my mind! Consider buying a cell phone based on the appeal it has, the functions it offers but not even considering which network it is on? I have heard students complain about the iPhone on AT&T's network but not Verizon's. Is it the iPhone or the network or both? AT LEAST WE CONSIDER IT. I want my students and as many consumers as possible to consider what fuel their vehicle requires. I want them to find alternatives. I want them to compare! And by compare I mean: 
• list environmental pros and cons for both
• list economic pros and cons for both
• reflect on their ACTUAL needs for their car (Hummers on flat asphalt?)
• I cannot for the life of me understand why we (the American mass) are content complaining about 5-50 cents increases in gas prices yet struggle to unite and demand that our government raise the CAFE standards for vehicles in the USA. In the 1980s we had an increase in MPG of 5-7 gallons. That was nearly 30 years ago? Why can we NOT have more efficient motors. Where is our government at? Are they serving the American mass? OR are they catering to their lobbyist groups (Oil guys, Auto guys)??
• I am very disappointed in our government because they subsidize fossil fuel to the point that it makes it nearly impossible to compete with it. Simply put, any fuel derived from the barrel of crude costs MORE than what we pay at the pump. We pay taxes and some of our tax money is used to pay the oil guys. THEN we pay at the pump and complain about a cost that is more expensive (economically and environmentally) than $4.00/gallon. STOP. Oil has plenty of tactics to keep competition down, our government does not need to empower this. 
• I would like to challenge automakers to get back to innovating without the chains or strings connecting them to oil companies. Think BIG. Create. Design. Produce. GM had a great idea in the EV1 back in the 1990s. Detroit Electric in the 1900s. Tesla in the recent years. Ford and Chevy are getting into the game again after a long hiatus...thank you for NOT quitting Toyota, your Prius set the standard and so far continues to do so. Give the American mass options!!

My students had to research their current car and consider their current vehicle needs before investigating other vehicles. 

1. OPTION 1: find a vehicle similar to current vehicle but have it run on a biofuel (ethanol from corn...I HATE because it is subsidized just like oil, biodiesel...from soy or preferably another source).
2. OPTION 2: find a vehicle that is pure electric, plug in hybrid or hybrid.

For each option, they determined how much the car cost up front, how much it cost to operate annually (fuel), and availability in the USA. Lookout American mass, 115 students are no longer ignorant and will empower you with their experience!!

April 7, 2013