Safe nuclear does exist and China leads the way with thorium

It's amazing to think this solution, which offers 'relatively safe' nuclear power, and can be used as an 'eco-cleaner' to rid us of old nuclear waste, was shunted aside because ... it couldn't be used to build nuclear bombs.

And a system that uses a fuel (Thorium) which is in sufficient quantities (fairly readily available) that could power the whole of our power needs for thousands? of years.

The earth's crust holds 80 years of uranium at expected usage rates, he said. Thorium is as common as lead. America has buried tons as a by-product of rare earth metals mining. Norway has so much that Oslo is planning a post-oil era where thorium might drive the country's next great phase of wealth. Even Britain has seams in Wales and in the granite cliffs of Cornwall. Almost all the mineral is usable as fuel, compared to 0.7 per cent of uranium. There is enough to power civilization for thousands of years.

...

US physicists in the late 1940s explored thorium fuel for power. It has a higher neutron yield than uranium, a better fission rating, longer fuel cycles, and does not require the extra cost of isotope separation.

The plans were shelved because thorium does not produce plutonium for bombs. As a happy bonus, it can burn up plutonium and toxic waste from old reactors, reducing radio-toxicity and acting as an eco-cleaner.

What would this world be like without those vested interests who seek domination over others, at the expense of all?

and according to another site, here is an impressive list of the features and benefits of Thorium:

"Liquid Flourine Thorium Reactors (LFTR) could potentially be a silver bullet for an energy-rich future, and that claim is not made lightly. From all the research I’ve done, calling it a potential silver bullet is not a long shot.

• Thorium is incredibly more efficient than uranium, which is incredibly more efficient than coal.
• It’s nearly impossible to built a bomb from it’s fuel cycle
• It’s found in larger quantities in the Earth’s crust than silver, mercury, and tin.
• It’s non-fissile in it’s natural state (not able to sustain a chain reaction)
• It’s found all over the world. (Think about this: the average cubic meter of the Earth’s crust contains about 12 g of thorium, enough to power your life for 10-15 years.)
• The US has about 20% of the world’s  thorium reserves
• Energy is produced without the production of transuranic wastes (the nasty stuff that is radioactive for 10,000+ years)
• Reactors can run at atmospheric pressure
• Passive safety features use the laws of physics to ensure that reactors are safe
• LFTR can consume our existing nuclear waste
• A marble size ball of thorium contains enough energy to power your entire life: lights, heat, cooling, driving, energy needed to build your house, produce your clothes, etc.
• And many more"