Reply #75: Uranium supply: almost forever [View All]

Uranium, thorium, and deuterium ("heavy water") are preset in seawater -- 30 milligrams of uranium, 90 milligrams of thorium, and 1.5 grams of deuterium in each cubic meter of seawater. Even forgetting about deuterium, which is more suited to fusion (whenever it is developed) and CANDU reactors, there's enough in the oceans for a couple of thousand years.

The crust of the Earth also has a lot of uranium and thorium, in about the same proportions as seawater (12 PPM U and Th). There is no shortage. Some of the anti-nuclear orgs, however, are promoting that as a talking point.

Of course, we should not misuse our supply of fissile material, either. Wisdom is in short supply, and we can't get it from the ocean or the crust of the Earth. THAT is the truly critical resource.

--p!