Hi Rio: The No.2 reactor experienced an explosion today and the world is inching closer to another Chernobyl. Hopefully they can avoid it.
I personally feel that nuclear will be the pwave of the future, after NG. However, that said we must find better and safer ways to produce energy from uranium. China has developed what they refer to as a "Silica pebble reactor". It is quite small and so far seems to be very safe. As I understand it the uranium is encapsulated in a ball of silica much similar to a billiard ball but smaller. The balls pass slowly via a hopper through the reactor and create the energy but without the possibility of any type of meltdown that we are seeing from these 1950's technological monster projects. I'm not a rocket scientist but I believe they are on to something. Because the uranium pellets are contained individually in a silica "pebble" they are not individually dangerous as far as explosions or terrorism goes. Very interesting to observe as we are now constructing reactors around the world with this new technology.
IMO what was needed before these reactors in Japan were constructed was a better understanding of the "Ring of Fires" techtonic instability. If they really understood that they would never have constructed these reactors where they did.
Regards, Foghorn
