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The Pros And Cons Of Thorium Reactors

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Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors: A Thing of the Future? Since the inception of nuclear power plants over half a century ago, numerous disasters have taken place which shocked the world at large. Many from amongst activists and the public questioned the effectiveness and about the danger of this source of energy. One of the top economist, Jeremy Rifkin, said regarding conventional nuclear power plant that “it’s over” from a business point of view (“Jeremy Rifkin: Five (actually 6)..”, 2014). Yet, little is known about a similar nuclear power lurking in the background; a thorium based, instead of traditional uranium, nuclear reactor. Several experts have explained that thorium based nuclear reactor is significantly better than uranium based ones to the extent that it is “touted as The Answer to our energy needs.”( Zerbisias, A., 2011) But with a thorough analysis of how thorium reactors work, would this be a positive endeavour for investors? …show more content…

Compared with uranium based nuclear reactor, thorium based nuclear reactors is deemed as a safer, cheaper, and a cleaner alternative. Antonia Zerbisias of The Stars, inserts that it is “almost as common as dirt” and that there is “enough easily mined thorium in the ground to power the world for a thousand years.” (www.thestar.com, 2011) Additionally, thorium reactors can’t melt down like uranium reactors, its toxic waste degrades faster than uranium’s and “is hard to weaponize” says The Week magazine (“Could thorium make..”,

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