There is an type of nuclear technology which could power the U.S. for hundreds of years using nothing more that the Uranium that has already been mined–i.e., no new mining required. The technology, called the “Integral Fast Nuclear Reactor”, recycles its own fuel until the end products are essentially non-radioactive. Also, its design makes it invulnerable to meltdown. The project was started in the 80s and then, when it was just four years away from completion, killed by the Clinton administration during times of super cheap gas. It appears that certain congressmen were misinformed about the possibility of proliferation (of nuclear material). In reality, the IFR offers less chance of proliferation due to the fact that all fuel byproducts never leave the facility, but instead are recycled to provide yet more energy. All of the proposed reactors are ‘light water’ designs, which DO involve the transportation of very radioactive materials, DO pose a risk of meltdown, and are capable of extracting only a small fraction of the energy contained in the fuel, leaving a dangerous end-product to be disposed of.

Why is no one talking about this? If you are not familiar with “peak-oil” theory, then I would suggest reading up on it. The theory maintains that running out of oil is not a necessary condition for global economic collapse. Rather, the price of gasoline needs only to cross a certain threshold. With the emergence of China and India as major oil consumers, demand for oil is outpacing supply/production. If one were to graph oil production and oil demand, one would see an essentially flat line for oil production and oil discovery, and an upward curving line for oil demand. As the graph proceeds into the future the gap between supply and demand grows ever larger.

So in the absence of the discovery of any new major oil reserves, the question is not ‘if’, but ‘when’ the crisis predicted by peak oil theorists will come to pass. The conclusion is that we need to take steps NOW to avert this crisis. The first step towards accomplishing this is to raise public awareness of truly viable alternatives. Only then will our misinformed leaders take action.

Related Posts

No related posts.