[Green-Activist] More on thorium: why it is being ignored in the "great debate"

[Roy Garner]

"Floot", a contributor to the permaculture forum 
(http://forums.permaculture.org.au/viewtopic.php?t=2016) mentioned in 
my last posting, writes: "... in the 50s when nuclear power was being 
explored it was decided to go with uranium [apparently by Pres. Truman 
USA] because the by-product of this would produce plutonium which was 
'necessary' for building a weapons arsenal.

"Thorium is not a fissile material meaning that it cannot sustain a 
chain reaction a la 'the china syndrome' and melt down the reactor. It 
can be turned on and off safely."

Interestingly, as I understand it, a hidden agenda of the Snowy scheme, 
which Johnny-come-lately now wants kept in state ownership, was to 
provide a reliable source of water to cool a planned reactor at Jervis 
Bay, which could produce weapons-grade plutonium, not for Australia, 
but for the UK.