RE: interesting reading>> there is enough energy in 5,000 tonnes of thorium to provide total global energy needs for one year
That's an amazing fact! The USGS estimates there is 1.2M tonnes of thorium available as economical reserves in the world (USGS Mineral Commodities Summaries). That's 240 years worth of global energy! It's not that far from reality either. In fact the world's first thorium based reactor is already up and running in India (Kakrapar-1) and India plans on supplying 30% of its electricity demand from thorium based reactors by 2050.
No longer a nuisance by-product of rare-earth mining I believe thorium has an important role to play in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions. The fact that it does not produce as much nuclear waste as uranium, and the waste it does produce is easier to handle, is an added bonus!
Thanks for posting that link,
Seven.