[Marxism] Technological optimism (was peak oil)

[Les Schaffer]

Rod Holt wrote:

>
>  Thorium is a mildly radioactive, naturally occurring element, which 
> accepts a neutron and fairly quickly thereafter gives off two neutrons 
> which can produce a great deal of heat. 


thorium 232 is not fissile. it accepts neutrons and converts via gamma 
and beta decay reactions to U233. THAT uranium atom can undergo 
collision with another neutron and do the split. so thorium needs some 
"processing", and the trick is how to do it on a large scale in reactors 
side by side with U.

> Safe nuclear power for fun and profit is impossible, and every 
> American knows this, or at least it's in the back of their minds. A 
> socialist could advocate nuclear power only if it were under social 
> control,

one of my students yesterday asked me why nuclear power isn't 
nationalized. the same one, coincidentally, who wondered if i knew who 
Ward Churchill is ... hmmmm.

les schaffer