Glenn and other ASAPHILES:
Does anyone here know of estimates of the available supplies of elements for
producing power from fission reactors? I presume that this would be Uranium and
Thorium.
I find it ironic that the USA is largely depriving itself of this valuable energy
source, when we developed it here, and the rest of the world is using it more than
we are.
In facing safety issues, we have been swayed by the "logic" that it would be
better to kill 10 people in coal mine accidents and atmospheric contamination from
burning coal, than to kill one person in a reactor accident. Somehow it would seem
so "weird" do die from something Nuclear.
The only person I know of in this country who has been killed by radiation from a
fission reaction is Louis Slotin, who was performing a "critical mass" experiment at
Los Alamos, soon after I left there in 1945. Slotin lived for several days, after
first writing up the whole sad episode in his laboratory notebook, presumably with
recommendations for performing such experiments by remote control, in the future.
We need to take a realistic look at our options! That's my 3¢ worth.
Larry
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set
eternity in the hearts of men" - - Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV trans
================================================
Lawrence H. Johnston 917 E. 8th st.
professor of physics, emeritus Moscow, Id 83843
University of Idaho (208) 882-2765
http://www.uidaho.edu/~johnston/ =====================
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