Thorium energy and the LFTR

[jeff5may]

Originally Posted by Xringer

https://youtu.be/cZhvO0FoopQ

"Published on Jun 22, 2015

Jim Kennedy gives an update on Th-REE legislative efforts in the United States Congress.

Thorium and Rare Earths are linked at the mineralogical, regulatory and geopolitical level.

Most Members of Congress recognize rare earths as a national security issue. Few Members of Congress have the political will to address nuclear energy issues.

Energy is the single largest component of global GDP and nearly all other goods and services require or spring from energy: directly or indirectly."

Good find, sir. I knew that the value of goods regulated offshore by this policymaking was high, but didn't realize how high. 7 trillion dollars a year is a LOT of lost value no matter who you ask.

Companies like Westinghouse, Siemens, GE, Toshiba, Philips, Sony, IBM, Apple, Texas Instruments, Motorola and the like are starving for rare earth feedstock. As it stands, they have been forced to relocate their production capacity to China. Meanwhile, the existing mining corporations in America are dumping their rare earth tailings (equal to or greater than global demand) into the environment (waste ponds) instead of refining them. Trillions of dollars worth every year! Along with the rare earth ores, they are dumping 10 thousand tons of thorium waste into the same disposal sites.

China is well aware of the status quo, and is racing to produce a variety of reactors and compare their viability. They have effectively cornered the "free market" in this arena, and have a sizable head start on the rest of the world towards proving out a few new reactor designs. They are doing to the world pretty much exactly what the USA did when World War 2 ended. If (or when) they gain a competitive advantage in nuclear power generator technology and its associated IP, they will leverage the stranglehold they have on the rare earth market to include nuclear energy as well.

The citizens of China are united in their pursuit to dominate the world in these (and other) endeavors, and so far it has been a downhill battle. They are already reaping massive economic rewards from the work already completed. The successful buildup of manufacturing and technological bases is being spun into the patriotism web that is quite strong already. With the overwhelming support of the general population, it seems the Chinese government will face few to no hurdles in this race.

A major advance in power and energy is well past due. If China proves out a new, safer method, it could forever change world politics and economics. They would be reaping the rewards from this advance for a long, long time.