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!